


Learning to Let Go

by RewriteTheStars5218



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, BAMF Wild, Blood and Violence, Bonding, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Bonding, Flashbacks, Found Family, Gen, Hurt Legend, Hurt Twilight, Hurt Warriors, Hurt Wild, Hurt/Comfort, I like the idea of Wild being related to Twilight and Time so I'm gonna hint to that, Legend is secretly a softie, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Memories, Mentor and Protégé, Mild Blood, Nightmares, No Champion abilities, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sky angst, Spoilers for Breath of the Wild, Swearing, Team as Family, This story will be part of a collection, Time angst, Time is the dad everyone deserves, Twilight is the best older brother, Wild (Linked Universe)-centric, Wild angst, Wild can be a little shit, Wild can talk, Wild learns to let go of a lot of guilt, Wild needs a Hug, Wild needs to learn to let go, Wild-Centric, but we all know that, light humor (how can there not when you have Legend Wind and Warriors), no beta we die like men, rating due to swearing and mentions of violence (but its not that bad, typical violence, zelink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:20:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 78,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25518697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RewriteTheStars5218/pseuds/RewriteTheStars5218
Summary: The heroes are dropped into Wild's Hyrule just as malice makes it's return to his world. Wild is force to confront parts of his past that continue to haunt him while working with the other Links to discover why malice has returned (and if it possibly could be linked to the infected monsters they are finding in the other Hyrules). Their journey will introduce the heroes to Impa, Zelda, and others in Wild's era as they discover secrets that might reveal the true source of the Calamity.
Relationships: Four & Hyrule & Legend & Sky & Time & Twilight & Warriors & Wild & Wind (Linked Universe), Legend & Warriors (Linked Universe), Legend & Wild (Linked Universe), Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Sky & Wild (Linked Universe), Time & Twilight (Linked Universe), Time & Wild (Linked Universe), Twilight & Wild (Linked Universe), Wild & Wind (Linked Universe)
Comments: 367
Kudos: 985





	1. The Price of Enchantments

**Author's Note:**

> I fell down the Linked Universe rabbit hole and I cannot get enough of it. Please go check out and follow jojo56830 on Tumblr, for they are responsible for the characters I will be using in my stories and because their comic is amazing!!
> 
> ***Chapters have been edited in the beginning of September, 2020, mostly to correct grammatical errors but also to add additional dialog***
> 
> ***I will upload a new chapter once a week on the weekends from this point going forward since I am finally able to return to work***

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang lands in Wild's Hyrule and some hilarious shenanigans ensue at Legend’s expense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***EDIT for grammar on 09/03/2020) 
> 
> Please be kind. This is my first attempt at writing any Legend of Zelda fics. This first chapter is pretty light hearted. Refer to the tags to see what's to come for our heroes.

One minute the group of 9 heroes were recovering from a brief but tough encounter with some infected Stalfos in a temple in Time’s Hyrule. The next they were all sprawled out in the grass, a clear evening sky hanging above them. 

When the group was first thrown together, the switching between Hyrules was slower and more predictable. Now, when they switch, it came without warning and was quite jarring. 

Time was the first to recover, followed closely by Wild and Legend. 

“Well, at least Hylia was kind enough to drop us in the middle of an empty field,” Legend said sarcastically, trying to shrug off the dizziness from the switch. 

Time hummed in agreement. Knowing their luck, he was surprised they weren’t dropped in the middle of a Moblin camp. 

As Time took in his surroundings, he could see towers in the distance glowing with the familiar blue glow of the Sheikah. He only knew of one Hyrule with such towers.

“We’re in my Hyrule” Wild said, drawing a collective groan from his fellow heroes.

“At least it's not raining,” Warriors said, thankful for small mercies.

The last time they were in Wild’s Hyrule, he was nearly struck by a lightning bolt as the group frantically tried to put away all their metal items and armor. 

“Hey Wild, what’s that?” Wind asked, gesturing down and away from the cliff. 

Wild looked down and smiled at the familiar glow.

“That’s one of the Great Fairy Fountains. She can enchant your armor if you have the right materials.

“I could use an upgrade,” Legend chirped. 

“I just want to see what a Great Fairy looks like,” Wind added. 

“Um, Wild, how exactly do we get down from this cliff?” Four asked as he looked down from the cliff’s edge.

Wild glanced over at Sky and gave him a mischievous smirk. Sky immediately know what Wild was planning, and he responded with a smirk of his own.

Twilight had seen that smirk one too many times for his liking. 

“Cub, you better not….”

“See you all down there,” teased Wild as he took off running towards the cliff’s edge, Sky right on his heels. 

They both jumped off the cliff, Sky utilizing his sailcloth and Wild whipping out his para-glider. 

Sky couldn’t help but laugh as he heard the various shouts of anger coming from the cliff behind him. 

Soon he noticed that Wild had glided up next to him.

“You know Twi and Time are going to be furious right?” Sky yelled out to Wild.

“I’m sure Legend and Warriors are going to be just as angry” Wild laughed.

Both heroes landed gracefully on the lush grass just outside the Fairy Fountain. 

Sky looked up and saw the rest of the group already in the act of climbing down the cliff.

“So, what are we going to do while we wait,” Sky asked.

Wild was fiddling with his slate, and suddenly he was wearing what looked to be a Sheikah outfit. 

“We’re going fairy hunting,” Wild answered. “There’s no way I would be able to sneak up on them with those guys following me.

“Wait, you have to sneak up on your fairies?” Sky questioned. 

“Yeah, they spook easily. You have to be really quiet, otherwise they fly away.” Wild said, and he gestured for Sky to crouch down. 

Sky crept up towards the fountain but decided to hang back and watch as Wild stealthily maneuver around the fountain. He snatched each fairy before they realized he was there and storing them in his slate. 

By the time the rest of the group reached them, Wild had caught three fairies and collected about 10 beautiful glowing flowers Wild called blue nightshade. 

“That was a dick move Wild,” Legend growled. 

“Hey, it's not my fault you don’t have anything in that bag of yours that allows you to glide through the air. Wild quipped. 

“Besides…” Wild continued, interrupting Legend before he could start ranting. A few flicks on his slate and three bottles appeared, each containing a fairy.

“…I knew Hyrule would want to stock up on some fairies and there was no way I could catch them with how loud _you_ trudge through the forest”

This got a solid laugh out of Warriors, causing Legend to turn around and punch him right in the shoulder. 

Hyrule’s eyes lit up as Wild handed the three fairy bottles to him, ignoring the escalating fight between Legend and Warriors.

Time shot his signature “knock-it-the-hell-off” look at Legend and Warriors, quieting them both before turning back to Wild.

Time rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling an all too familiar headache starting to form. It was a headache he only got when he had to deal with his ‘kids' shenanigans.’ 

“Wild, just tell us how to awaken the Great Fairy,” Time said with an exasperated sigh.

“Oh, right!” Wild gestured to Legend, “Follow me.” 

Soon Legend and Wild were standing on top of what looked like an oversized petal. 

Legend looked around and was taken back by how beautiful the fountain was. It felt so peaceful and serene.

“I’ve returned Cotera” Wild called out, and before Legend could ask who Cotera was, the waters below started to swirl.

Suddenly a fairy, larger than Legend had ever seen, exploded from the water. 

Wild snickered as he watched Legend stumble backward. 

From behind, he could hear Wind gasp “holy shit!” followed by both Time and Twilight, in unison, shouting “Language!” 

Still snickering, Wild turned back to face Cotera.

The great fairy leaned down towards Wild. 

“Welcome back boy,” she said, and then glanced towards Legend.

“Oh, I see you brought visitors.” 

She leaned towards Legend, who was still getting over the shock of how big this fairy was. The fact that this fairy wasn’t wearing a whole lot of clothing was also a bit distracting. 

“Welcome tiny hero,” she says to Legend. “I am Cotera, one of the four Great Fairies of this land. If you wish, I can enchant your clothing if you possess the right materials.”

Legend shot a nervous glance towards Wild, who was still trying his best to hide his laughter. 

Wild gestures for Legend to walk forward and talk to Cotera.

“I-I was wondering if you could enchant my tunic,” Legend finally sputtered. 

The Great Fairy studied Legend for a moment.

“Hmm, I see that your tunic already carries an enchantment, but lucky for you, I can enchant it further.” 

Legend straightened up a little, clearly happy to hear that she could enchant his tunic. 

“Let’s see, this will require 15 amber and 15 Bokoblin guts”.

“Bokoblin guts?” Legend cringed. 

“I’ve got it,” Wild called out all too excitedly. 

Behind them Four leaned over towards Twilight.

“Wild seems a bit too enthusiastic about this enchantment” Four observed.

Twilight hummed in agreement. 

“Wild’s told me about these fairies before. They’re not known for their subtleties”.

“What do you mean?” Wind questioned as he drifted closer towards Four and Twilight.

Time, who was close enough to hear the conversation, gave a quiet chuckle. 

“What’s so funny, old man?” Warriors asked teasingly. Beside him, Sky and Hyrule turned their attention towards Time.

Time looked back at Legend and Wild.

“I’ve heard about these great fairies from Wild, and I am fully convinced Legend had no idea what he is getting himself into.”

Sky, Warriors, and Hyrule turn back towards Legend, their curiosity piqued. 

The group watched as the fairy accepted the payment from Wild before she turned her attention to Legend. 

Legend expected the fairy to simply cast some magic spell that would enhance his tunic.

He was wrong.

Instead, Legend got a giant, barely clothed fairy snatching him up from where he stood, hugging him to her chest and submerging both underwater. 

Wild was sure he would never forget Legend’s face when Cotera snatched him up and into her chest.

Wild had a shit-eating grin plastered across his face when he turned towards the rest of his friends, taking in their reactions.

Sky and Hyrule stood there, mouths gaped open in stunned silence.

Warriors, Twilight, Wind and Four were pointing towards the fountain and laughing, clearly shocked at what they just witnessed but enjoying it way too much.

Even Time, who tried extremely hard not to give in to the younger heroes' shenanigans, had to cover his mouth in a poor attempt at hiding his own laughter. 

Wild turned back towards the fountain just in time to see Cotera emerge, still clutching Legend close to her chest. 

She laid Legend back down on the pedestal where Legend preceded to cough up the water he inhaled when he was dragged under. 

She looked back at Wild and asked, “do you have any more clothing you would like me to enchant?”

Wild look back towards his friends, silently inviting any of them to step forward.

His friends all took a step back and shook their heads.

“ _Cowards_ ” he said under his breath before turning back to the fairy.

“His was the only item we needed to enchant. Thank you for your hospitality”. Wild replied with a polite bow.

“Going already? How unfortunate for me…” Cotera whined, eyeing the 7 heroes behind Wild.

She glanced back towards Wild. “See you later.” She turned and gave a flirtatious wink at Legend, who was still on his hands and knees coughing but caught the gesture anyway, before disappearing back into the water.

As soon as the fairy disappeared Four, Twilight, Wind, and Warriors doubled over, their laughter only growing in volume.

Sky and Hyrule were giggling but looked embarrassed for the poor vet. 

Wild, still chuckling, walked up to Legend and offered him a hand but Legend quickly slapped it of the way.

“You little shit!! You set me up, didn’t you!?” Legend spat as he struggled to stand. 

Wild threw his hands up defensively. 

“Hey, I didn’t know what enchantments you had. Usually, she blows a kiss or kisses her thumb and bops you on the head.”

“Then why did she grab me and try to drown me?!” Legend fired back.

“That's not all she tried to do to you!!” Warriors shouted, causing the others to laugh even harder. 

Legend snapped his head back and gave Warriors a seething look.

“Careful Warriors, there are children around” Twilight quipped, rubbing his hand on top of Wind’s hair.

“Piss off Twi!” Wind shot back, still laughing.

Time decided it was time to rescue Legend from his embarrassment.

"Alright, everyone, you’ve had your laughs. I think Legend has suffered enough.”

“Don’t think we didn’t see you laughing too old man” Warriors declared.

Time glared at Warriors, but it lacked its usual edge since Time also found Legend’s current situation hilarious.

While Time attempted to reel in the rowdy group, Wild stood behind Legend and slapped his hand on the other's shoulder. 

Legend didn't shrug him off, but he gave Wild the dirtiest look he could muster. 

“If it makes you feel any better, at least you know you got the strongest enchantment out of the deal,” Wild remarked. “She only does that when you have reached the limit of her enchanting ability.”

Legend just scoffed and turned away from Wild for a second before whipping his head back towards the blond hero.

His eyes narrowed, “How many times have you let that fairy do this to you?” 

Wild wrapped his arm around Legend’s shoulders and pulled him close enough to whisper “more times than I care to admit to…and, not just her.” 

That earned him a snort of a laugh from Legend, and Wild was confident that the red-clad hero wouldn’t try to murder him in his sleep that night. 

The rest of the group had pulled themselves together when Wild and Legend rejoined them, although the look Warriors gave Legend told Wild that the captain wouldn’t be letting Legend forget about this day anytime soon.

Time cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the group.

“Well Wild, unless you have any other tricks up your sleeve, how about pointing us in the direction where we can set up camp for the night. It’s already getting late, and I don’t like the idea of walking around your Hyrule at night.”

Wild, as if he forgot where he was, spun around and looked behind them towards a well-worn path.

“Good news! We don’t have to walk far at all. Kakariko Village is just outside this forest. Maybe a 30-minute walk tops. 

“Oh, thank Hylia for small favors” Legend groaned in relief.

The two times the group was dropped into Wild’s Hyrule, they would have to walk nearly a day to get to anything remotely resembling civilization. Maybe the goddesses were finally showing the heroes some mercy. 

Twilight wasn’t optimistic. He noted Legend’s earlier comment about thanking Hylia for not dropping them into the middle of a monster camp, and now the hero was thanking her again for dropping them on the doorsteps of Kakariko Village.

Twilight knew most of the heroes, Legend included, had no love for the goddesses. 

The only two who didn’t share negative thoughts of the goddesses were Sky and Wild. 

Sky because he created the Master Sword and didn’t share the same negative experiences the others did when it came to his quest. Wild simply because he lacked any real knowledge of the goddesses. 

Whether that was due to his amnesia or his Hyrule being set so far in the future that they didn’t really acknowledge the goddesses anymore, Twilight wasn’t sure. 

What Twilight was sure of was how he didn’t like how easy of a time the group was currently having. 

To Twilight, this just meant that something more sinister was in store for them.

Twilight was shaken from his thoughts by a very excited Wild.

“What’s the sour look for Twi?” the younger hero questioned. “I figured you would be happy that we didn’t have to hike the whole day to get to a stable.”

Twilight smiled, trying to push down his fears. “Trust me cub, I am ecstatic to hear that we don’t have to walk clear across your Hyrule tonight.”

Just then Wild’s face lit up and he turned to regard the whole group.

“I just remembered; I’ve never had the chance to introduce you all to Impa.” 

A few heads snapped up in recognition of the name. 

Sky’s interest was piqued.

“You heard him. Let’s go meet Wild’s Impa”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I don't write humor but here we are. For some reason I could not get the scene of Legend being snatched up by a great fairy out of my head so I had to write it. Hopefully it isn't totally cheesy. Plenty of angst to come in future chapters.


	2. The History of the Calamity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The heroes arrive at Kakariko Village. Warriors embarrasses himself. The group get a history lesson that has some major ramifications.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***EDITED for grammar on 09/03/2020***
> 
> Just a warning, this chapter is long and it is loaded with exposition. Hopefully not enough to drown you all in it, but I couldn't figure out how to advance the story without including it.

To everyone’s surprise, Wild wasn’t kidding when he said Kakariko Village was close. 

Before the heroes knew it, they walked under a shime torii connected by a uniting rope. On the rope hung simple wooded chimes that rattled gently in the evening breeze. 

As they turned to walk down the winding path, the group got their first view of the village. 

This Kakariko Village consisted of 10 buildings nestled onto rock terraces which were surrounded by dirt pathways.

The pathways were lined with small lanterns on wooden posts, providing an orange glow throughout the village.

The buildings shared a common architectural theme that was beautiful in its simplicity. 

Each building was a small unpainted rectangular structure raised slightly above the ground level on posts inserted directly into the earth. A railed veranda surrounded each structure at the floor level, and each building was covered by thickly thatched roofs. 

The walls all shared the same cream-white color contrasted by dark, raised wood.

Surrounding the village were giant cliffs which stood bare, the only hint of color came from the green grass that covered and cascaded over the tops. 

It was hard to see under cover of night, but water could be heard cascading down from the clifftops. 

Compared to the technology the Sheikah possessed in this time, their village seemed very ancient and traditional. 

The eight heroes stood quietly at the top of the path, taking in the village's sights. 

Wild decided to take advantage of the silence.

“This is all the remains of the Sheikah in my time.”

The group turned their attention to Wild as he spoke. 

Wild was looking out towards the village, a mixture of emotions fluttering through him.

“They have long been heralded as a people of great wisdom. It was their technology that became the key to sealing away Ganon during the Great Calamity 10,000 years ago.”

Wild had mentioned the Great Calamity only a handful of times during their travels, but he never went into much detail, only saying that it had happened at least one time before it struck his time.

They had no idea that the last Calamity happened 10,000 years before Wild’s time. 

“There was a time where the Sheikah’s technology was praised as the power of the goddesses themselves, but the royal family became threatened by their creations, threatened by the Sheikah as a whole. I guess they were afraid that the Sheikah would overthrow them one day.”

Wind scoffed, “Sounds about right”. 

Wild continued, “The Sheikah were forced to bury their creations that helped stop the Calamity and were sent into exile with the promise that they would cast off their technological advances.”

“Exile?” Sky gasped.

Wild nodded.

“Some agreed and settled down in this very village to live out normal lives, secluded from the rest of Hyrule, yet open to those who sought them out.”

“You said some agreed to live a life of exile, what about those who didn’t agree?” Four questioned.

Wild paused for a moment, his posture stiffening a little as he seemed to get lost in thought. 

“There were some who openly opposed being sent into exile. They fostered hatred towards the kingdom for shunning them…”

“Can’t say I blame them. They helped save Hyrule, and as a thank you, the royal family sent them into exile!” Twilight retorted. 

Wild glanced over at Twilight, knowing that the older hero wasn’t going to like what he was about to say next.

Still looking at Twilight, Wild continued, “Yeah, well their anger consumed them, and they decided to swear their allegiance to Ganon.”

“What?!” the group gasped in unison.

Wild turned his attention back towards the village below.

“They call themselves the Yiga Clan. Their sole mission is to eliminate all who stand against Ganon.”

“Wait…remember the last time we were here? I went up to ask a traveler if they had any potions for sale, and the traveler morphed into some crazy guy in a red and black bodysuit with a white mask.” Hyrule interrupted. 

“Oh yeah!” Wind blurted out, turning to Wild. “You called that person a Yiga foot soldier” 

Wild nodded.

“Now that I think back, the mask he wore looked familiar” Time added.

“That’s because it had the upside-down sigil of the Sheikah on it. It’s supposed to represent their resentment of the Sheikah.”

“…and when you say that their sole mission is to eliminate all who stand against Ganon…” Twilight hesitated, and Wild knew precisely what he was asking.

“I am at the top of their list.” Wild answered.

“Hylia above Wild, so not only did you have to contend with monsters, corrupted machines of death, and Ganon by yourself, but you had an entire clan of Ganon sympathizers hunting you down?” blurted Twilight.

“Why didn’t you tell us this before” Time questioned.

Wild shrugged. “I thought they disbanded when I defeated their leader and took down Ganon, so I didn’t think it was necessary. That foot soldier was the first time since I defeated the Calamity that I’ve seen any trace of the Yiga.” 

“Well, now we have a good reason to ignore any random travelers in your Hyrule” Legend stated.

Everyone nodded in agreement. 

“We should probably head over to the town hall so I can introduce you all to Impa before it gets too late. It’s just down the path”.

Wild gestured towards a building in the center of town. The building looked like it sat upon its own island high above the other village buildings, a tiny promontory its only connection to the village. 

A small gate stood over the start of a long staircase that led to a large veranda which encircled the building, forming a perfect square. 

Banners hung down from the thatched roof, and the same wooden chimes that greeted the heroes as they entered the village were strung across the base of the stairs and in front of the veranda. 

Even if Wild wasn’t there to point it out, it was clear this was the building that Impa resided in. 

As the heroes approached the base of the staircase an older man stepped out, blocking their path up the stairs.

“State your business” the old man ordered.

“They’re with me Cado” Wild responded, stepping out from behind Time.

“Oh, Master Link! I am sorry, I did not see you standing there.” Cado apologized.

“It’s alright, Cado. These are my friends,” Wild said as he gestured to the group. 

“I have to admit I’m surprised to see you with such a large group Master Link. Usually, you travel alone. It’s good to see that you have made friends.”

Wild turned his head to the side and rubbed the back of his head, clearly embarrassed.

“Yeah…well, I was hoping to introduce them to Impa if it isn’t too late.” 

“Not at all. You know Lady Impa is a bit of a night owl. She will be thrilled to meet your friends” grinned Cado.

Cado stepped to the side and allowed the group to enter the staircase.

“Thank you Cado,” Wild said, and he led the group up the stairs.

Wild pauses right before he opens the door and turns to the group.

“Impa is the elder of the Sheikah, so please behave yourselves.” Wild warned, giving a stern look at Wind. 

“What the hell….ouch!” Wind sputtered as Legend smacked him across his head.

“That’s exactly why Wild looked at you,” Legend mocked. 

“Boys…!” Time warned, and everyone quieted down.

Wild opened the door and led the group into a large, spacious main hall. 

The hall mimicked the architecture from the rest of the village, with its exposed dark wooden beams and cream white walls.

Banners hung all around the hall and statures were nestled at the top of each pillar.

Directly ahead sat Impa, who looked to be in deep meditation. She wore a large round wicker hat with the Sheikah emblem on the front. 

Small seating mats rested in front of her, and there were two staircases on either side of the main hall leading up to the living quarters. 

The other heroes hung back as Wild approached Impa.

Before Wild reached Impa a young lady came walking down the stairs.

“M-Master Link!! Y-You’ve returned!” the young woman spluttered.

“Hi Paya!” Wild greeted. 

“…Is that you Link?” 

Everyone stopped and regarded Impa.

“Yes Lady Impa,” Wild replied. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You as well.” Impa replied. “I see you brought guests. Please, step forward”.

Wild motioned for the rest of the heroes to come forward. 

Time, naturally took the lead and stood next to Wild.

“Thank you for meeting us on such short notice” Time said respectfully.

“It is my pleasure.” Impa replied. “Link is a dear friend, and his visits are rare. Therefore I will always make time for him when he visits”.

Wild turned away briefly, trying to hide the blushing of his cheeks”.

“I see you still struggle with complements” Impa observed, watching as Wild attempted to hide his face with his bangs.

Impa chuckled softly. “Please, have a seat, honored guests.” Impa invited, gesturing for the heroes to sit down on the mats in front of her. 

As the group settled down Warriors approached Paya, his charm on full display.

“Your name, Paya, is such a beautiful and unique name.” Warriors began, and Paya looked like she was about to pass out.

“Is it a family name?” Warriors prodded on.

“Um…no…well yes….I mean….” Paya spluttered, her cheeks turning bright red.

“I would love to hear where you got your name from” Warriors flirted shamelessly.

The others were now watching Warriors obvious attempt at flirting with Paya, causing Legend to roll his eyes in annoyance. 

Four elbowed Hyrule and whispers “10 rupees says he blows this”

Hyrule smirked “You’re on”.

“Um...well it’s not a very interesting story…” Paya said nervously. “You see…I have a birthmark that is shaped like a papaya seed…so I was named Paya”.

“A birthmark? Where is this birthmark of yours?”

Wild rolled his eyes and dropped his head into his hands, willing the goddesses to make him disappear from this embarrassing scene. 

Time and Sky were clearly unimpressed but Twilight, Four and Legend mischievously watched the scene unfold, knowing that Warriors had made a critical mistake

Paya’s already blushed face blushed even deeper, and she started fidgeting with her hands.

“Well…it’s kinda…ummm….”

Suddenly she buried her face into her hands, her embarrassment getting the better of her.

Time suddenly wanted the earth to swallow him whole. 

He looked up at Impa and was about to apologize for Warrior’s brash behavior, but Impa looked like she found the whole scene amusing.

With a small smirk Impa cleared her throat. “I think it would be best if we changed the subject.”

Wild shot Warriors an exasperated look. “Sit...down!” Wild growled under his breath. 

Warriors looked back at Paya, who still had her face buried in her hands, before giving a slight bow and retreating to the closest empty mat to him.

Unfortunately, that put him right in line with Legend, who shoved the captain as he sat.

“Some romantic you are,” Legend mocked under his breath, gaining great satisfaction from Warriors growing embarrassment. 

Legend would remember this moment and use it to get back at Warriors for all the teasing he received back at the Fairy Fountain. 

Once everyone was seated Impa spoke up.

“I sense the hero’s spirit in each of you, as strong as I sense it in Link. Is it fair for me to assume that you all are incarnations of the chosen hero?”

All the heroes looked on in stunned silence. Never have they been so easily called out as the chosen hero before. 

Everyone looked towards Sky. He was the first hero in their timeline, so he usually could explain their situation the best.

“You are correct, Lady Impa. We are all the incarnation of the chosen hero from different points in time.” 

Impa hummed in acknowledgment, but Sky had a feeling he wasn’t telling her anything she didn’t already know.

“Your spirit seems ancient compared to the others” Impa continued, regarding Sky.

Time glanced at Sky, clearly surprised that Impa was able to sense that.

“Indeed, as far as we know, I am the first Link.” Sky replied.

Impa’s gaze rested on the Master Sword strapped to Sky’s back.

“I see, you are the one who created the sword that seals the darkness.”

Sky paused for a second, amazed at how accurate Impa’s assumptions were.

“I did”. Sky replied. 

Impa hummed again as she looked over the group of heroes.

“Enough of my prodding, what questions do you heroes have for me?” Impa asked.

Twilight was the first to chime in.

“Wi – I mean Link, told us that the Sheikah were forced into exile 10,000 years ago. How was it that you came to help the royal family defeat Ganon this time around?”

Impa gave a slight smile.

“Young hero, we Sheikah have long served Hyrule's royal family in secret. The king from long ago might have shunned us out of misplaced fear. Still, there were always members of the royal family who sought our guidance, more so once the Great Calamity was predicted to return.”

Twilight considered her answer before nodding with respect. 

Wind was the next to chime in.

“The tapestry behind you, what does it symbolize?”

Time caught Impa’s quick glance towards Wild, which caused Wild to drop his eyes to the floor, his look suddenly serious.

After a second Wild gave a very subtle nod but did not look up.

Impa angels herself so the others can get a good look at the tapestry.

“Young hero, this tapestry tells the story of the Great Calamity that struck Hyrule 10,000 years ago.

Instantly everyone’s attention was locked on to Impa. It seemed like they were finally going to get some information about Wild’s past.

Sky quietly slipped the Master Sword from his sheath and laid her across his lap. 

“The history of Hyrule's royal family is also the history of Calamity Ganon, a primal evil that has endured over the ages.”

As Impa spoke, Sky closed his eyes and rested his hands on the Master Sword’s blade. Time noticed the subtle blue glow grow from the sword, informing him that Fi was talking to Sky.

“This evil has been turned back time and time again by a warrior wielding the soul of a hero, and a princess who carries the blood of the goddess.”

The other heroes listen closely. So far, the story sounds very familiar. 

“With the passage of time, each conflict with Ganon faded into legend, so listen closely as I fell you of this “legend” that occurred 10,000 years ago.

Twilight saw Wild slowly rise from the floor and walk over to the room's corner. 

Twilight sensed that whatever Impa was about to tell them, Wild didn’t want to be part of it.

“Hyrule was then blossoming as a highly advanced civilization. Even the most powerful monsters posed little threat to the denizens of the realm. 

The people thought it wise to utilize their technological prowess to ensure the land's safety, should Calamity Ganon ever return.”

Impa gestured to the four corners of the tapestry.

“They constructed four mechanical wonders that came to be known as the Divine Beasts.”

The heroes had heard Wild mention the Divine Beasts before, but he never mentioned how old the technology was.

“They also built a legion of autonomous weapons called Guardians.”

Time and Twilight shared a worried glance at each other at the mention of Guardians. 

“The Devine Beasts were piloted by four individuals of exceptional skill from across the land. And thus, the plan to neutralize Ganon was forged.”

Four, Legend, Wind, Hyrule, and Warriors were listening intensely, seemly unaware of their surroundings.

Sky sat impossibly still as if he was meditating over the Master Sword.

Twilight and Time kept giving a concerned glance over to Wild, who was staring at a picture hanging on the wall. 

Twilight assumed he was attempting to block out the story being told.

“Upon Ganon’s inevitable return to Hyrule, the princess and the hero fought alongside these four Champions against this ancient evil.

Impa gestured towards the spider looking images on the tapestry.

“The Guardians were tasked with protecting the hero as the Divine Beasts unleashed a furious attack upon their terrible foe.”

Wild visibly winced and caught both Time and Twilight's attention. They knew little of these Guardians, but they knew that whatever they were, they haunted Wild’s dreams.

“And when the hero wielding the sword that seals the darkness delivered his final blow, the princess used her sacred power to seal away Calamity Ganon.” 

Time noticed that the Master Sword’s glow intensified slightly at the mention of her involvement.

Impa gave a glance towards Wild and paused as if she were contemplating whether to continue. 

Wild gave no indication that he noticed her, and Impa sighed quietly as she turned back to the other heroes. 

She was certain Link didn’t share his full story with the other heroes. 

She knew that Link’s newfound carefree attitude was only a front to hide his past physical and emotional scars. 

They needed to know.

Impa took in a deep, controlled breath.

“A hundred years ago in preparation for the foretold revival of Ganon, we strove to follow the lead of our ancestors of 10,000 years ago.

Wild suddenly felt like the walls were closing in on him. He quickly slipped outside, only catching the attention of Impa, Time, and Twilight. 

Twilight made like he was going to follow, but Time put a hand on his shoulder, signaling him to let him be.

“But…in the end…despite our best efforts and careful planning, we underestimated his power. In the end…we failed to stop the Calamity from ravaging the land.”

The heroes were all doing the math in their head. If the last Calamity happened only 100 years ago, how did that explain Wild defeating Ganon only a year ago? 

Impa continued.

“The hero fell protecting the princess. It was his sacrifice that awoke her sealing power and allowed her to seal away Calamity Ganon until the hero could be resurrected so they could finally finish him off.”

The heroes sat, staring at Impa in stunned silence. The pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into place.

Wild’s amnesia, his scars, the deep sadness hidden in his eyes that his carefree mask couldn’t hide. His total avoidance at sharing anything meaningful about his adventures.

Twilight decided he was done listening to Impa’s story and went outside to look for Wild. 

The others looked towards Time, clearly confused. That was when they noticed Sky, still meditating over the Master Sword.

Time looked back at Impa, a question hanging on his tongue.

“How old are you,” Time asked bluntly. 

Impa regarded Time for a moment before answering.

“I am 120 years old”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, if you can believe it, this chapter was even longer than I posted. I decided to split this chapter up into two. I will have the next chapter posted later today.  
> I will be rereading this chapter once I am finished with the next one so I can catch any grammatical errors I missed while posting this.  
> For some reason I am having a heck of a time committing to a more past tense style of writing. I am catching myself flipping between past and present tense, so if you see those inconsistencies in this piece, just know that I will be rereading it later today and correcting it.  
> I want to thank everyone who has left a kudos and a comment!!! You are all beyond kind!!


	3. What Makes a Hero?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wild thinks too little of himself. The others are determined to fix that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***EDITED for grammar on 09/03/2020***
> 
> Ok this is an angst-heavy chapter for all you Wild-angst lovers out there.

Twilight rushed outside to find Wild leaning up against the corner railing of the veranda. 

Twilight quietly made his way towards Wild. If Wild senses Twilight approaching he gave no indication.

The two stood quietly next to each other for a few minutes. Twilight could hear the rattle of the wooden chimes and the water's gentle cascade behind the building. 

It was peaceful here.

Twilight's eyes eventually fell onto Wild’s face. 

He took in the scars that laced across Wild’s face and down his neck before disappearing under his tunic, scars that suddenly hid a much darker truth. 

“Go ahead and ask. I know you want to…” Wild said dryly.

Twilight stared at Wild for a moment longer, unsure of how to proceed. 

He could tell Wild’s defenses were up, and if Twilight wasn’t careful, he ran the risk of pushing the young hero further into himself.

Finally, Twilight summed up enough courage to speak.

“…the hero Impa spoke of from 100 years ago…”

Before Twilight could finish Wild scoffed.

“Some hero…he couldn’t even save the kingdom.”

Twilight was looking into Wild’s eyes, and for the first time, he noticed how old his eyes looked. It was the same when he looked into Time’s eye.

“How old are you?” Twilight whispered, afraid of the answer.

Wild thought for a moment.

“Developmentally? Probably around 18”.

“…and your actual age?”

“…118”

There, he said it. He knew the others put the pieces together. There was no sense in lying.

Twilight dropped his head into his hands and slowly ran his fingers through his hair, trying to wrap his brain around this new information's implications. 

“I told you before, I’m not a hero.” Wild spat defensively. 

There he went again, claiming he wasn’t a hero. Twilight had enough.

The two were unaware that their conversation could be heard from inside where Impa and the others listened on.

“You defeated Ganon! You saved Zelda and the kingdom!”

“Look around Twi!” Wild spat back 

“I didn’t _save_ the kingdom. You heard Impa. I failed 100 years ago. Hyrule was destroyed because I wasn’t strong enough! Zelda was practically imprisoned for 100 years keeping Ganon sealed away!”

Twilight had never seen Wild this upset. It was like the floodgates had opened, allowing all the toxic thoughts Wild usually kept to himself to spill out.

“But you rescued Zelda! If it wasn’t for you, she would still be sealed away or worse, overpowered by Ganon, allowing him to escape and destroy the rest of Hyrule. All these people….Zelda….they are here today because of you” 

“I died Twi…” Wild choked out, his voice threatening to expose just how upset the young hero was.

“..I died, and I left Zelda to face Ganon alone.”

Wild paused, attempting to gain some composure.

“The only reason I am alive today is because Zelda had the Sheikah take my body to the Resurrection Shrine. It took 100 years for me to wake up, 100 years of Hyrule being left to the monsters' mercy and rogue Guardians with no one to protect them.”

Twilight was at a loss for words. 

All he ever wanted was for Wild to open up to him, but now that he was pouring his very soul out for Twilight to see, he didn’t know how to respond. 

Twilight grossly underestimated how little Wild thought of himself.

Wild tried to reel in his thoughts, but he found he couldn’t. 

“What kind of hero allows the kingdom he swore to protect get destroyed? I might have defeated the Calamity, but not before it destroyed Hyrule.”

Twilight tried to will himself to say something, anything, but he couldn’t.

All he could do was stare in disbelief as his protégé had an emotional breakdown.

“I was supposed to save Hyrule… do as my predecessors did before me” Wild choked out, his voice once again on the verge of cracking.

“….do what you all were able to do. I am your future, and I failed you.”

“You’re wrong, young Champion…”

Both Twilight and Wild jumped, totally unaware Impa and the others had made their way outside.

Wild’s eyes went wide when he saw Impa standing before him, but his gaze quickly dropped to the ground when he saw the other heroes standing behind her.

What an embarrassment he must be to them.

Impa continued.

“You did not fail us. All four Champions fell to Calamity Ganon that day. Would you be so quick to call them failures?”

Wild felt his face grow hot at the accusation. 

His head shot up, anger shining brightly in his eyes, ready to challenge Impa’s words.

Impa held her hands up defensively and spoke before Wild could.

“…of course you wouldn’t. They walked into an ambush completely unprepared.”

Wild’s shoulders dropped slightly, the anger in his eyes fading, but still locked onto Impa.

“The Calamity…he was more cunning than we anticipated. It was our arrogance that led us to believe our technology was perfect. That we could defeat the Calamity in the same manner that our ancestors before us did.”

Wild felt his anger flicker away at Impa’s words. 

“We were so sure in our victory that we never considered that Calamity Ganon would learn from his previous failings.”

There was a sadness to Impa’s words, a sadness Wild had never heard before. 

“We never considered that Ganon would not only learn from his previous defeat but develop a plan to turn the very technology we used against us.”

Impa looked right into Wild’s eyes, making sure she had the young hero’s attention.

“Link, it was Hyrule who failed you.”

Wild couldn’t hide the gasp that escaped his lips, his emotions threatening to consume him. 

No, she was wrong! It was his job to save Hyrule. He trained his whole life for it. 

Impa could sense Link retreating into himself, so she pushed forward.

“Don’t you see, we sent you all into a death trap. The same technology we created to protect you, that we _insured_ would protect you, was corrupted and turned against you.”

Paya suddenly emerged out from behind Impa. It was clear to everyone she had been crying.

She looked at Wild with a strange mixture of sadness and anger. 

“Y-You…h-how can you stand there and say you are not a h-hero?! Zelda told grandmother what happened that terrible day!” Paya shouted, stunning everyone around her.

Paya seemed to grow more confident with every word she spoke.

“Zelda told her that you grabbed her hand and took off towards the castle as soon as the Calamity appeared. She said you both didn’t make it far before you saw Ganon’s malice explode and cascade over the countryside, corrupting everything it touched.”

Tears were spilling freely from Paya’s eyes, but she made no move to wipe them away.

She continued to stare down Wild, who was still staring at her in stunned disbelief. 

“Zelda said the malice targeted the Devine Beats and the Guardians first, corrupting and turning them against you. She told Grandma how the Guardians seemed to lock in on her as if they knew she held the goddess's power.”

As Paya spoke, Wild felt his mind wander to the events of that day. 

He remembered seeing the blue glow of the Sheikah turn an evil shade of red as the malice infected the Devine Beasts and Guardians. 

He would never forget how scared he felt that day.

“Zelda said you tried to fight your way through the Guardians, but you didn’t think you could get her safely to the castle. You decided to take her to Hateno Village…to your home…so she could be protected. You hoped that the walls of Fort Hateno would hold off the Guardians long enough for you to find a safer route to the castle.”

The other heroes watched as Wild stared at Paya in complete shock, and they knew what Paya was saying to him was true. 

Paya let out a quiet sob before continuing.

“All you wanted to do was keep Zelda safe, but when you approached the field in front of Fort Hateno, it had been overrun with Guardians.”

Wild finally pried his eyes away from Paya’s and looked down to his side. He knew what she was going to say next.

Suddenly, his mind drifted to the moment he and Zelda peered out towards the Fort, Guardians crawling over every inch of the land. That was the moment he realized he was not going to survive the day.

“You could have run away, left Zelda and saved yourself…” Paya sobbed.

Wild’s eyes shot right back to Paya’s, anger flashing in his eyes once again.

“You could have run away, but you didn’t!” Paya continued.

“You took Zelda by the hand, and you tried to get her to Fort Hateno anyway. You knew that it was Zelda’s best chance of surviving the day!”

None of the heroes dared to move, struck by the passion behind Paya’s words.

Time noticed that Sky still held the Master Sword and his eyes had closed. He saw the fierce glow coming from the blade and Time knew Fi had something to say about the events of that day.

“Zelda told Grandma how you took hit after hit by the Guardians, only to get back up and continue forward.”

Twilight saw Wild visibly winced, and mindlessly rubbed the scars across his face and neck. 

“You knew you would die! You knew, but you continued anyway! Zelda said she begged you to leave her, begged you to save yourself, but you didn’t.”

Wild clutched his hands into fists, willing the tears starting to form to go away. 

“You took down Guardian after Guardian, took blast after blast because you wanted Zelda to live. Even when you knew you wouldn’t make it to Fort Hateno, when your body had taken one too many hits, you still forced yourself up on your feet. You stood between Zelda and an approaching Guardian.”

The Master Sword let out a low hum, briefly drawing the other heroes' attention. Sky’s eyes were still closed, but his hands squeezed tightly around the hilt of the sword as it pulsed in his hands.

“Zelda said that, despite your injuries, you stood, Master Sword in your hands, and allowed the Guardian to target you. You knew you had no way of surviving its attack, but you hoped that Zelda could somehow escape and make it past the Fort walls.”

Paya seemed to lose all the anger that had fueled her unexpected outburst. 

She looked at Wild, tears running down her face and Wild found he could not look away from her.

“How c-can you stand there and s-say you’re n-not a h-hero” Paya asked again, only now the words held new meaning to the heroes looking on.

Wild could only look at Paya in stunned silence. He jumped when a hand came to rest on his shoulder.

He turned and saw Twilight behind him, and all Wild could do was look down at his feet. 

Impa comforted her granddaughter briefly before turning back towards Wild.

“You know, Zelda told me that you were the reason she was able to awaken her sealing powers.”

Wild’s eyes shot up at Impa, not expecting the elder to continue speaking. 

“You can ask her yourself. She said the moment you stood up, fully prepared to sacrifice your own life to protect hers, something awoke inside her. At that moment, all she wanted to do was save you.”

Wild felt a lump forming in the middle of his throat and he tried to swallow it down.

“You need to understand, it was your love for her and her love for you that awakened her sealing power. Had it not been for your actions that day, we would not be standing here today.”

Twilight gently squeezed Wild’s shoulder, trying to will the young hero to believe what he was being told. 

He had no idea how much guilt his cub was holding onto.

“You know, not too long ago, Zelda came to visit me. She confessed that one of her biggest regrets was that she wasn’t able to unlock her sealing ability in time to save your life.”

Wild wanted to argue, but he was afraid the unshed tears he had been blinking away would spill down.

Instead, he looked at the ground and quietly muttered “That wasn’t her fault…”

Suddenly Time was standing in front of Wild, his hand resting on his other shoulder. 

“Exactly. It wasn’t Zelda’s fault she couldn’t unlock her sealing power just like it wasn’t your fault you couldn’t fight off an entire army of possessed killing machines designed to protect you.”

Wild looked away from Time, but Time gently grabbed Wild by the chin and tilted his head up, so he was looking straight at him.

“You willingly put your life on the line to save Zelda. Despite an unwinnable situation, you continued onward. You did so, not only to protect Zelda but because you hoped she could still unlock her powers and save Hyrule.”

Time held Wild’s gaze.

“Only someone with the spirit of the hero could have fought with that much courage.

Wild could hear the others agreeing with what Time said.

He looks back down at his feet, hoping his bangs were hiding the tears that suddenly were leaking from his eyes.

Time sighed. He could tell the kid was at his limit. 

“Twi, why don’t you take Wild for some air. The rest of us will find a spot to set up camp for the night.”

Wild silently thanked Hylia for the reprieve as Twilight lead him down the stairs and away from the group.

Impa turned towards Time.

“Set up camp? Nonsense. I insist you stay at our inn. I can’t imagine how many times you boys had to sleep in the Wild, the least I can do is give you a comfortable bed to sleep in while you are here.”

Time couldn’t argue with her logic, and graciously accepted her invitation. 

Time decides to send Four and Legend to secure their beds at the inn while Hyrule, Wind, and Warriors head to the general store,

Time and Sky follow Impa back into her home.

There were still a lot of unanswered questions Time wanted answers to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have the next two chapters already written, I just need the time to sit at the computer and type them up.  
> Hopefully I will have some extra time tonight to reread the last two chapters and make sure I clean up any of the grammatical errors.  
> Sky is in my sights next chapter, so prepare for some Sky angst.


	4. Things Outside Our Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sky reveals what he learned from Fi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***EDITED fpr grammar on 09/03/2020***
> 
> Yet another exposition heavy chapter along with some Sky angst. I had to split this chapter up because it was getting too long. I still have a lot more that I have already outlined, so the updates should still come pretty frequently.

Time and Sky escorted Impa and Paya back inside. 

While Sky and Paya assisted Impa, Time walked over to the picture that Wild had been staring at earlier.

He studied the picture for a moment. It was a picture of a green field littered with large mechanical devices. 

He thought about Paya passionate retelling of Wild’s battle 100 years ago, and what little Wild had shared about the evils he faced in his Hyrule.

“Are these machines the Guardians?” he finally asked.

Impa, now sitting back on her altar, turned towards Time.

“Yes, those are some of what remained after the attack on Fort Hateno.”

Time hummed, still looking at the picture.

“It seems a little out of place in this hall, considering no other pictures are hanging up.”

Sky noticed the somber look Paya gave her grandmother before Impa spoke.

“How much has Link shared with you about his journey?” 

Time turned to face Impa. 

“Honestly, not much. He told us about the monsters he encountered during his travels and that he was mostly alone. He said he rescued the Devine Beasts and defeated Ganon, but he has never gone into detail about it.” 

Time paused, trying to think if there was anything else of importance that Wild had shared.

“He did mention that Zelda was instrumental in Ganon’s defeat. He said he weakened the beast enough for Zelda to escape and use her sealing powers to seal Ganon away for good.”

Impa hummed.

“Has Link shared anything about himself, other than the battles he fought in?”

Time paused to consider the question. On the outside, Wild seemed carefree and had no problems talking to the group. Still, he never actually talked about his life. 

There was one thing that Wild divulged about himself that stunned the group.

“He confessed to us that he has amnesia. He said he has pictures in his Sheikah Slate to help him remember important events, but that’s the most he has ever shared about himself,” Time replied. 

Impa nodded.

“I sensed that Link’s awakening was near, so I sent one of my guards to take that picture. I hoped that it would help him recover his memories from that tragic day.”

Time glanced back at the picture. 

_Link’s awakening_ he thought. Then he thought about something he heard Wild say to Twilight earlier. Something about a Resurrection Shrine and how it took him 100 years to wake up.

Something clicked in Time’s mind. He turned and faced Impa again.

“Wi- Link’s amnesia…was it a consequence of his resurrection?!”

Impa nodded.

“Unfortunately, yes. We knew Link would wake up unaware of who or where he was. That is why Zelda left him those pictures. We hoped that those pictures would help him recover his lost memories. The picture you see in front of you was the only one she didn’t have, but one I felt it was important for Link to remember.”

Sky was the next to speak.

“Why would you want him to remember that terrible day?” 

Impa sighed.

“I wanted him to remember how bravely he fought that day. I wanted him to remember that his bravery and courage were instrumental in awakening Zelda’s power.”

Impa’s expression turned regretful.

“…I never imagined that Link would see himself as a failure because of it.”

Time couldn’t help but give out a low chuckle. 

“That seems to be a shared characteristic of the heroes chosen by Hylia.”

Sky adverted his gaze, a sudden wave of guilt washing over him. 

Impa noticed.

“It saddens me to think that all of you have suffered similar hardships as Link.”

Sky spoke before he could stop himself.

“It’s my fault…” 

Time’s head snapped towards Sky, understanding where Sky’s thoughts were leading.

“This is NOT your fault. This falls on the goddesses.” 

Sky scoffed.

“The goddesses might decide who will possess the spirit of the hero, but I’m still the reason why you all have suffered so.”

Before Time has a chance to argue Sky turns to face Impa.

“It is like we said before, I am the first Link. My Zelda…she was the direct incarnation of the goddess Hylia.”

Sky brought up the Master Sword for Impa to see.

“I was tasked in helping create the Master Sword so that I could defeat the demon king known as Demise, the primal god of all evil.”

Sky paused, looking at the sword before continuing.

“It was difficult, but we were finally able to defeat Demise...but not before he uttered a curse that continues to this day.”

“Sky…that’s not your – “ Time tried to reason, but Sky continued anyway.

“I will never forget his final words… _My hate…never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle with no end. I will rise again. Those like you...those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero…they are eternally bound to this curse. An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time…_ ”

Time was left speechless. It wasn’t like he didn’t know of the curse. Sky had brought it up in the past. But to hear Sky retell it, word for word, it was haunting.

Sky took a deep breath, trying to steady his emotions.

“I thought I locked Demise’s essence in the Master Sword, but it was already too late. That curse is why Hyrule will never know lasting peace.”

He turned to Time.

“Ganondorf is the reincarnation of Demise. Whether it’s his Gerudo form or his demon form Ganon, at his heart, he is still Demise. 

There was a sadness in Sky’s eyes that Time had never seen before. Sky was always so laid back and happy. Time silently cursed Demise for all the pain and heartache he has caused his brothers.

Sky stared back at the sword for a moment before turning back to Impa.

“Fi showed me Link’s journey while you and Paya spoke. She feels responsible for his initial defeat.”

Time’s eye widen in shock. 

Sky suddenly chuckled to himself, but it lacked any humor.

“Now I know why Wild never wants to use her, why he was always insisting he would break her. I didn’t understand what he was talking about, but I do now.”

Time was confused. He always thought it was odd that Wild kept insisting he would break the Master Sword, which Time thought was impossible. Sure, Wild was known for breaking weapons from his era, but the weapons were in such disrepair it wasn’t a surprise. 

Sky continued.

“In this time, the Master Sword is incredibly old...ancient even. This timeline takes place so far into our future that Fi’s powers are starting to fade.”

“I didn’t think that was possible” Time gasped.

“Neither did I,” Sky replied, “…but she is not the same sword we wielded. Now, her power can only last so long before she needs to rest.”

The Master Sword started to emit a low hum and Time took it as a sign that she was confirming what Sky had just said. 

“What Wild interpreted as the sword ‘breaking’ was Fi needing to rest to restore her power. She would dematerialize when her powers ran out and rematerialize when her power returned” 

Time thought back to all the times he used the Master Sword. He could not imagine being in mid-battle, just for the sword to lose it’s power and disappear.

The sword started to pulse again, and Sky closed his eyes for a moment.

When he opened his eyes he turned to Impa, his expression suddenly unreadable.

“The Sheikah knew about this 10,000 years ago. They knew the sword’s power was starting to fade. They created a series of trials for the next hero to complete to restore Fi’s powers.”

Sky paused briefly.

“…but Link never went through those trials, did he?”

Time turned to Impa, who looked down with what Time could only describe as guilt in her eyes.

“The trails are perilous, and Link never mentioned having issues wielding the sword.”

“Maybe, but he could never truly hear her. Fi said she could not speak to Link like she could his predecessors. Besides, Fi had 10,000 years to recover before Ganon struck again, so it’s not surprising her powers could last longer.”

“We had no way of knowing that,” Impa said.

“Yeah, but you knew of the trials, so you knew deep down that the sword wasn’t at its full strength.”

Sky felt his anger start to rise. He decided to take a moment to steady his emotions. He didn’t like to get angry, but after this revelation, he couldn’t help himself. Wild had the sword for a few years before Ganon returned. He had plenty of time to complete the trials. 

Once Sky calmed himself, he continued.

“When Ganon struck, Fi was pushed past her limits. Fi shares a bond with her wielder. I saw the state she was in before Link…fell. 

Sky felt a sudden lump in his throat as he recalled Wild’s final moments. Fi was only able to show him flashes of what happened, but that was more than enough for Sky to see just how badly Wild had been injured.

He steadied himself again. 

“I have never seen the Master Sword in such a state. She lost her blue glow, and her blade was severely damaged.”

Sky paused to look at Time.

“If her condition told me anything, it was how bad off Wild was in the end. I cannot imagine how much he suffered in his final moments.”

Time could feel the emotion pouring off Sky. Hearing Paya recount what Zelda had said was upsetting enough, but Time could tell that the sword had shown Sky some of the events, and it was clearly worse than what Paya could describe.

Sky kept looking at Time, temporarily forgetting that Impa and Paya were still in the room.

“It’s no wonder why Fi wasn’t fully restored when Wild wielded her for the second time. With how badly she was damaged paired with how old she is, its no wonder why she ran out of power so quickly.”

Sky looked at the sword one more time before returning her to her sheath. 

Sky scoffed. “Not only did I allow Demise to cure all of my descendants, but I also made a sword that would eventually lose its sealing abilities.”

Time was getting tired of hearing his friends – no – his brothers, bash themselves for things outside their control…and he thought he was hard on himself. 

“Enough. You defeated Demise. You had no way of knowing he would utter a curse before you could seal his soul away. This curse is the result of Demise’s hate…period. There was nothing you could do to stop it.”

Sky knew Time was right. He knew that the only reason he was beating himself up was because he was able to see, firsthand, what that curse had done to his descendants. Still….

“…still doesn’t stop me from wondering what would have happened if I had managed to seal him away sooner…”

Time threw his hands in the air in frustration before turning to Impa. 

“See, it’s a hero trait.” 

Impa looked on mournfully. 

Finally, she spoke.

“It’s been a long night for everyone. I think it would be best for you all to head to the inn and get some rest. Hopefully, a good night’s sleep will allow you to process the events of today.”

Time nodded in agreement. “Thank you again for your time.”

As Time and Sky left the building Paya looked at her grandmother.

“Do you think they are going to be okay?” she asked.

Impa nodded, “They learned a lot today and need time to process it, but this will only help strengthen their bond.”

Paya looked towards the door. “I worry about Master Link…”

Impa hummed. “So do I, but now that he is with his fellow heroes, I am confident he will finally heal from his past trauma. They are more alike than they care to admit, some more so than they realize.”

As Time and Sky got to the end of the stairs Time grabbed Sky by the shoulder and turned him around, so they were facing each other.

“Look, I don’t know what the sword showed you, but you can not blame yourself for what happened to Wild.”

Sky looked away. “Fi didn’t show me much. I think she is trying to respect Wild’s privacy, but she felt that I needed to see some of what he went through. I felt what happened more than saw what happened. I could feel the fear Wild felt. I could feel the pain he was in. I could sense how hard Fi tried to hold onto her power.”

Sky looked up towards the moon that was slowly starting to rise.

“I also felt the moment Wild knew he was going to die. He was terrified at first, but that was quickly replaced with sheer determination to protect Zelda. The only thing he regretted, in the end, was leaving Zelda alone. It was his courage that gave Fi one last burst of power so she could speak to Zelda. When Wild fell, Fi was able to tell her how to save Wild. She also told Zelda where to put her to rest so she could recover her power.”

Time sighed for what felt like the one-hundredth time that day. 

He knew it would take Sky time to get over what the sword had shown him. Usually, Fi would only hint to the other heroes’ adventures, allowing them to tell their story on their own time. 

For some reason, she felt it important that Sky see what Wild had gone through. Maybe it was because Wild suffered from amnesia. 

Maybe she knew that, for Wild to fully process and heal from his past trauma, someone needed to know what he went through. 

Maybe it was as Sky said, and the sword felt guilty for not performing at her full power. 

Time ran a hand over his face. This was not how he envisioned the day would end. 

He placed his hand across Sky’s shoulder.

“Look, I get it. There are things I wish to Hylia I could change about my past. I had no idea that the decisions I made during my adventures would have such major ramifications. I mean, I managed to create three different timelines, dooming all three timelines to this cursed fate.”

Time squeezed Sky’s shoulder before he continued.

“What you need to do is accept that you had no control over what happened. I know it’s hard, but we did not invite evil to curse our lands. We did not ask for the gods and goddesses to use us as pawns in their war.”

Sky looked up at Time. He knew that Time marked the split in their timelines, Fi had shown him when Time spoke of his adventures. 

What Sky didn’t consider was that, when Time was confronted by the Links from the different timelines, that he would feel responsible for their fates. 

“I know how hard it is to look at these boys and think that maybe you could have saved them from this fate, but there was nothing we could have done to prevent this. Demise set all of this in motion. You were just the first of us to suffer at his hands.”

Sky had a sense that Time was telling himself this as much as he was telling Sky. 

Time wasn’t the one who set the ball into motion, but that didn’t stop him from feeling responsible for the outcome of his adventures. 

Time could sense that he had gotten through to Sky.

Time removed his hand from Sky’s shoulder. “Come on, I’m sure the others are wondering where we are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your continued support. This should be the last chapter with heavy exposition. Next chapter will be more original writing. I just needed to add the exposition to set up the relationships.  
> I think I might be playing a little fast and loose with the events from the game. The group knows Wild defeated the Blights and freed the Champions, but they were unaware that the Calamity began 100 years ago. Also, the group has been to Wild's Hyrule a couple times before, but for the purpose of this story they have never seen an actual Guardian. They only knew of them through brief mentions from Wild.  
> Also, I start work again this Thursday. I am not sure how that will effect my upload schedule, but I do have A LOT written down on paper for this story, so all I need to do is get time to sit at my computer and type it out (yeah, i still use pen and paper to write/outline my stories, I find I have an easier time shaping my story if I write an outline out first)


	5. Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twilight tries to get Wild to let go of his guilt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***EDITED for grammar on 09/03/2020***
> 
> This is a very short chapter, but I felt like it had to be it's own stand alone chapter.

Wild and Twilight sat atop one of the taller cliffs overlooking Kakariko Village.

They sat in silence, the only noises coming from the many waterfalls in the area.

Twilight could see why Wild like sitting up here. It was very peaceful, and it was full of flowers that had a bluish glow to them, giving the area a more serene feel.

Twilight noticed that Wild had picked a flower and twirled it around with his fingers. 

The flower was different from the blue ones. This one was bigger with white petals that also gave off a serene glow. 

“I’ve never seen a flower like that before. What is it called?” Twilight asked, finally breaking the silence.

Wild continued to look at the flower.

“It’s called a Silent Princess. They used to be pretty rare, although now that the Calamity is gone, we are seeing more of them grow.”

Twilight hummed. “Do they have any special properties?”

“Yeah, you can use them to increase your stealth, but I never used them for that purpose. They are too rare. Other flowers have the same properties. The only time I used them was to enchant my armor.”

Wild paused before taking out his Sheikah Slate and stored the flower away.

“…they are also Zelda’s favorite flower” Wild admitted quietly.

Twilight watched Wild for a moment and smiled. He could see how much he cared for Zelda. 

Suddenly the events from the evening returned to Twilight and he frowned.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he questioned somberly.

Wild didn’t look at him, keeping his gaze fixed on the blades of grass dancing in front of him. He knew Twilight wasn’t talking about flowers anymore.

Wild stayed silent, and for a moment Twilight thought he wouldn’t respond.

“I wanted to…” Wild finally said. “…but the more I heard of everyone’s adventures, the more ashamed I felt. Out of all of you, I was the only one to fail.”

Wild could see that Twilight was getting ready to chew him out, so he cut him off.

“Hey, you asked.” He said as he held his hands up. “You wanted an honest answer, right?”

The words died in Twilight’s mouth, and all he could do was sigh.

“Still, I wish you would have told me. What kind of mentor am I if my protégé can’t confide in me?”

Wild’s eye darted to Twilight before returning to the blades of grass he was fiddling with.

“I didn’t want to disappoint you…” he said under his breath.

Hylia it pained Twilight to hear Wild sound so dejected. 

Twilight gently placed his arm across Wild’s shoulders before speaking.

“Cub, I couldn’t be prouder of you if I tried.”

Wild turned his head away, afraid his emotions would start getting the better of him again.

Twilight sighed. He felt like he was doing that a lot tonight. 

“Look, just promise me you will stop blaming yourself for everything. I get it, we are our own worst enemies, but you gave your life, willingly, to protect Zelda and Hyrule.”

Wild hunched further into himself but continued to listen.

“Not only did you give your life to save everyone else, but you came back 100 years later with no memories and finished what you started, and you did it alone. That just proves how strong your hero’s spirit is.”

Wild glanced over at Twilight.

“I wasn’t alone, I had the other Champions and Zelda helping me…”

“You mean the Champions you had to first free from their possessed Beasts by defeating slightly less powerful versions of Ganon?” Twilight quipped.

Wild rolled his eyes, unable to counter Twilight’s point. 

Twilight drew Wild closer to him.

“Promise me…if not for me then for Zelda. I’m sure she would be upset to learn how little you think of yourself.”

“…she already knows,” Wild said in such a hushed tone Twilight barely heard it.

“Promise me….”

Wild sighed.

“…I promise”.

“Good!” Twilight said, slapping Wild on the back. “Now, let’s head back to town before Time personally comes out looking for us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again I want to thank everyone for all of your kind words and support!!! I am having a blast writing this story. Next chapter will focus around Sky and Wild. It will probably be a shorter chapter too because I am wrapping up the events from their day and moving on to the next part of the story, which wont be so exposition heavy and more my own head canon lol.


	6. Masks We Wear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warriors calls Legend out, Sky needs to clear some things up with Wild, and something ominous returns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***EDITED for grammar on 09/03/2020***
> 
> Wrapping up our angst chapter, next chapter will get into some battles.  
> Also, my own head cannon about why the master sword has a limit in the game (that was really the only part of BoTW that drove me crazy lol)

Warriors, Wind and Four had no trouble finding the Inn. Better still, they were the only group staying the night which meant, if some of them doubled up, they would all have a bed to sleep in.

Hyrule and Legend returned shortly after, having browsed through the town’s general stores, picking up some odds and ends they felt they would need. They were surprised to learn the shops in this Hyrule didn’t sell potions, much to Hyrule’s disappointment. 

Once the five heroes were all settled in, they found themselves reflecting on the day's events. 

Everything happened so quickly. What started like a nice visit to Impa’s turned into a dramatic telling of Wild’s past. 

Wind felt guilty. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked about the tapestry. He was a sucker for stories, and the tapestry looked like it had an amazing story behind it. 

He wasn’t wrong. 

What he wasn’t prepared for was how that story flowed into Wild’s. He knew Wild kept a lot of his past to himself, but Wind attributed most of that to his amnesia. 

He looked around and saw that the other heroes seemed to be lost in thought. 

“I can’t believe Wild is over 100 years old.” Wind finally said, instantly gaining the others' attention. 

“I can’t believe he died!” Hyrule blurted. “I knew his scars looked bad, but…” Hyrule wasn’t sure how to finish his statement, still reeling over the fact Wild had been killed.

Warriors noticed that Legend wasn’t sitting with them. He looked around and found him in the corner of the room, gazing out the window. 

Warriors sighed before turning to the others. “It explains a lot if you think about it. His nightmares, his constant deflecting anytime anyone tries to bring up his adventures…”

“His amnesia…” Four continued. “I can’t imagine how it would feel to wake up 100 years in the future with no memories of who you are or where you are.”

Legend listened on, his anger starting to grow. 

He told himself he wasn’t angry because he actually cared about Wild. That wasn’t it at all. To Legend, this group of Link’s were just temporary teammates, partners in yet another quest of his because Hylia hated him.

That’s what he told himself because he absolutely was not starting to form a close bond with his fellow heroes. 

“When Wild was yelling at Twi…what he said about himself. I had no idea he felt that way.” Wind muttered. 

Legend thought back to the conversation they overheard Wild and Twilight have. He had never heard Wild talk like that before, with so much hurt and bitterness in his voice. 

It didn’t fit him. Wild was their crazy, free-spirited troublemaker. Legend was sure Hylia put Wild in the group to personally torture him. 

To hear what Wild had been through, to hear how Wild felt about himself…

Legend has been through his own versions of hell but hearing what Wild went through broke his heart.

He felt the anger slowly starting to rise. Without warning, he shot up and headed outside, ignoring the confused looks of his fellow heroes. 

“What was that about?” Four asked after Legend stormed out.

Hyrule looked concerned and went to get up to follow him, but Warriors held out his hand.

“I’ll go talk to him.” Warriors insisted. Warriors could sense Legend was mad, and he didn’t want the hot head to inadvertently say something hurtful to Hyrule. 

Warriors found Legend behind the Inn. He was sitting in the grass, only knee drawn up towards his chest as he looked blankly into the distance.

Warriors approached slowly but allowed his presence to be known. Nothing was more dangerous than sneaking up on Legend.

Legend’s shoulders tensed, indicating to Warriors that he knew he was there.

“I’m not in the mood to deal with your shit right now,” Legend growled. 

Warriors ignored him, knowing Legend well enough to see when he was putting up a front.

Warriors sat a few feet away, looking off in the same direction as Legend.

“You know, it's okay to admit that you’re worried about Wild” Warriors offered.

Legend bristled. 

“I’m not worried, I’m pissed” he spat, but there was more than just anger in his tone.

“I’m tired of Hylia’s shit.” he spat again, and Warriors could tell Legend was getting ready to go on a rant.

“She uses us as her pawns and discards us when she’s done. Legend growled. “She uses us to fight her battles with no care of the consequences!”

Legend hated Hylia. Out of the nine heroes, he had been on the most adventures, and Warriors knew that at least one of those adventures had affected him deeply. Warriors guessed that’s why Legend was so standoffish. 

“And then, as if we didn’t go through enough, Hylia throws us all together out of the blue. No warning, no instructions, she just drags us through some crazy portal and dumps us all into random Hyrules and expects us to just know what we are supposed to do.”

Legend wasn’t wrong. 

“ **And then** , after we finally think we have things figured out, she drags us into this Hyrule and dumps Wild on us.”

Warriors thought back to that day. They were all surprised to learn there was a ninth Link and wondered why it took Hylia so long to introduce him to the group. That seemed like ages ago. 

“I always thought the kid was too damn reckless…” Legend groused.

 _Finally_ Warriors thought. He knew if he let Legend go long enough, he would eventually hint to what was really bothering him.

“The way he fights is reckless…I mean the kid breaks nearly every weapon he uses, and he is way too quick to whip out those magical bombs of his. I won't even get started on how carelessly he uses those elemental arrows.”

Warriors hummed in agreement.

“And he is way too reckless with his own safety. It’s like the kid has no sense of self-preservation. I’ve lost count of how many times he’s purposely thrown himself into harm’s way…”

Warriors simply nodded. Again, Legend wasn’t wrong.

“I’m always giving him shit for it too…” 

Warriors noticed that Legend’s tone was losing its sharp edge. Warriors was sure he knew what was bugging the veteran. 

“I knew Wild was fighting his own inner demons, but which one of us isn’t? I had no idea it was that bad.”

Warriors stayed silent. 

“He died. I know we have all had our brushes with death, but the kid actually died. Hylia, the damn Sheikah, they failed him. As if that wasn’t bad enough, they dragged the kid into some magical shrine to bring him back from the dead. They didn’t even have the decency to allow him a peaceful death.”

Legend was sounding more and more dejected. 

“They brought the kid back from the dead, one hundred years into his future, with no memories of who he was or where he was. I’m willing to bet whatever magic they used to bring him back is what caused him to lose his memories.”

Legend picked a stick off the ground and started fidgeting with it.

“Hylia wasn’t content with sending the poor kid to meet a guaranteed, painful death. She had to bring him back from the dead, rob him of who he was, and make him continue on that shitshow of a journey.”

Legend snapped the stick as he finished the sentence. 

“I can’t believe I didn’t see the signs. I mean, we all suffer from nightmares, we all have secrets, but I honestly had no idea how bad Wild had it. I assumed his amnesia resulted from whatever injury caused his scars. Still, I had no idea those injuries actually killed him. The poor kid has a constant reminder of his death permanently etched on his skin.”

Legend gives a short laugh, but it sounded dark.

“I am always giving that kid shit, but never once did I sit down and ask him why he behaved the way he did. I just assumed he was reckless, but now I understand why. Waking up after one hundred years. No memories. No one to travel with. No one left alive that knows you. Left to fend for yourself in what might as well had been a hellscape based on what little Wild’s told us about his Hyrule before he defeated Ganon. Like you said... it explains a lot.”

It was rare for Legend to be so open about his feelings. Even now Warriors can tell he is still holding back. Still, at least Legend is halfway admitting to feeling guilty about what he perceived as treating Wild poorly. 

Legend continued. “It explains his crazy fighting style. There are hints that he’s had real weapons training, but it’s drowned out by this 'wild' side of him, the side that had to survive in this wasteland alone with nothing more than his instincts to guide him.”

Legend paused for a moment, allowing the anger that masked his face to slip just enough to show the sadness behind his eyes. 

“…as for how reckless he is with his own wellbeing…after hearing what he put himself through to protect Zelda and try to save the kingdom…how he views himself as a failure because of it…”

Legend didn’t dare continue. He just tossed the two sticks in his had away, letting the rest of his words die on his tongue. 

“Now we know why Wild is always putting his life on the line to protect us…” Warriors finished. 

Legend continued to stare into the distance.

“It’s who he is,” Warriors continued. “Not only was that something he would do in his past, he probably does it more now to make up for what he interprets as his failings.”

“Curse Hylia and Ganon” Legend spat.

Warriors knew better than to call Legend out for admitting he felt guilty for how he’d been treating Wild. Honestly, Legend wasn’t any harder on the kid than he was on the rest of the group. They all knew it was his way of showing concern for them. Legend wasn’t fooling anyone. 

“Well, what’s done is done. We cannot change Wild’s past. It was hard to hear what the kid’s been through, but now we know, and now we can finally help him.”

Legend hummed in agreement. 

Warriors smirked. “You’re just like him, you know.”

Legend scoffed, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Warriors turned to face Legend. 

“You both like to hide behind masks.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Legend said flatly.

Warriors smirk only grew. “You don’t fool me, Legend. Wild hides how much emotional pain he’s in by putting on that carefree, mischievous mask. It's just like how you hide how much you genuinely care for us behind that snarky, short-tempered mask of yours. 

Legend’s eyes darted up to meet Warriors. He narrowed his eyes dangerously but said nothing.

Suddenly they hear Sky and Time approaching the Inn.

Warriors stood up and stretched his arms above his head. “Let’s head back in. I’m sure the others are wondering where we are.”

Legend didn’t make any attempt to stand. “I think I’ll sit out here a little longer”

“Yeah, because you’re NOT waiting to make sure Twi and Wild make it back safely.” Warriors teased. 

Legend rolled his eyes but didn’t argue the point.

Warriors laughed and headed inside.

Thankfully, Legend only had to wait an extra 20 minutes before he heard Twilight and Wild making their way towards the Inn.

Legend got up and sighed. He was getting soft.

\-------------------------------------------------

The rest of the evening was uneventful. As soon as Wild and Twilight returned, Wild set off to make the group a quick dinner. 

The group made idle chitchat throughout dinner, each of them occasionally glancing over at Wild to see how he was holding up.

Surprisingly, Wild seemed to be doing well. He wasn’t his usual chatty self, but he didn’t seem as dejected as he had earlier. 

Whatever Twilight said to Wild, it seemed to have helped.

Time decided it was best to call it an early night. The innkeeper insisted that they didn’t need someone to stay up and keep watch since they had their own guards. When Wild confirmed that they would be okay, everyone made it to their beds and quickly passed out. 

Well, everyone except for Sky.

Normally Sky was the first to fall asleep, but he had too much on his mind. He glanced around and took in all the sleeping heroes. Wind and Four were flopped over each other on one bed, Twilight and Wild shared another, and the rest were lucky enough to have a bed to themselves. 

It had been a while since they could sleep in a bed in relative safety. 

Sky laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. He thought about how he and Zelda would be the ones to create Hyrule. They would be the ones to start the bloodline of the goddess and the hero. 

Sky wondered if everyone in this room was somehow related to him, or was it simply based on whoever possessed the hero’s spirit. He couldn’t deny that they all looked very similar, all of them sharing similar colored eyes, facial features and shades of hair that varied between Sky’s and Zelda’s.

Sky rubbed his face, not wanting to think about it anymore. 

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed before he heard someone gasp. 

He glanced over and saw Wild sitting straight up, struggling to control his breathing. By some miracle, he didn’t wake Twilight. Maybe Twilight was allowing himself a decent nights sleep since the group wasn’t at risk of being attacked.

Sky watched quietly as Wild slowly calmed down before he quietly got out of bed and snuck outside.

Sky was okay with all of them sleeping inside the safety of the Inn, but he wasn’t okay with Wild being alone outside, especially after the night he had.

Sky quietly got out of his bed, grabbed the Master Sword, and set off to find him.

One of the guards was kind enough to point Sky in the direction Wild went. After a minute, he found the blond hero sitting in front of a goddess statue, hugging both knees against his chest. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” Sky asks quietly, and Wild stumbles up onto his feet to face him.

“Whoa, sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you” Sky said.

Wild instantly relaxes. “It’s fine.”

Sky walks up next to Wild, and the two just stood for a moment, not saying anything.

“I have to admit I’m surprised that you’re the one awake.” Wild said, breaking the silence. 

Sky laughed. “I guess I have a lot on my mind.”

Wild frowned and dropped his gaze. 

Sky knew he had to tell Wild what Fi had told him. He couldn’t let the kid continue to think that he was some failed hero.

Sky slowly reached behind him and drew the Master Sword.

Wild’s eyes glanced up at the sword, before dropping his gaze again.

“Fi told me about her time with you,” Sky said quietly.

Wild flinched. “Did she tell you why I wasn’t worthy enough to wield her at her full power?”

Sky balked. “that...had nothing to do with how worthy you are...”

“Not according to the monks,” Wild muttered. “I found out about the trials after I woke up. They told me I had to go through them so I could prove I was worthy enough to wield the Master Sword at its full power.”

Sky was shocked. He wondered why Fi didn’t tell him that Wild had already gone through the trials. Maybe this was something Wild had to say himself. 

Then it hit him. “Wait! The monks said you had to prove that you were worthy enough?!”

“More or less” Wild mumbled.

Sky dragged his hand through his hair. “Oh, for the love of Hylia…Wild, it was never about your worthiness.”

Wild just stared at Sky skeptically. 

Sky took a deep breath. “Wild, the Master Sword is ancient in your time. Over the centuries, she has slowly started to lose her power”

Wild furrowed his eyebrows before looking at the sword.

Suddenly the sword started glowing and Wild’s eyes widen in shock before looking back at Sky.

“Before you first pulled her, she had 10,000 years to recover from her last battle, but even that wasn’t enough.”

The sword let out a subtle pulse of energy and Sky slowly offered the sword to Wild.

Wild’s eyes only widened more as he took a step back, exchanging quick glances between the sword and Sky. 

“It’s okay, Wild,” Sky said. “Take her.” 

Wild hesitated for a moment before slowly bringing his arm out. He let his hand linger a second before taking the sword in his hand.

It had been a while since he held her. She was just as he remembered, perfectly balanced as if she were made just for him.

The sword gave another pulse and Wild could hear her hum.

“I don’t know if anyone ever properly explained this to you, but the soul inside the blade is named Fi. Once a hero pulls her from her pedestal, her soul binds to that hero. They are one, which is why she always feels perfectly balanced no matter the size of the hero.”

Wild flicked his eyes up to acknowledge Sky but quickly turned his attention back to the blade. It was still humming, and Wild suddenly knew that Sky was telling the truth.

“When you first wielded her, her powers were fully restored, but her age was starting to show.” 

Wild winced as flashes of his battle 100 years ago invaded his mind. He wasn’t sure if he remembered them on his own or if the sword was showing him.

Suddenly he was dragged to the final moments before his death. He was kneeling on the ground, trying to suck as much air as possible into his lungs, leaning against the Master Sword. He could clearly see the blade, saw how dull it looked, noticed the small chunks missing from the edges. He assumed he damaged the sword because of how many strikes he delivered to the metal Guardians…

“Fi tried to hold out as long as she could, but she felt herself weakening each time you got hit. Usually this wouldn’t happen, but she couldn’t hold out as long as she used to because she is so old. In the end, her condition reflected yours.

Wild snapped out of his memory with a gasp, his hand tightly wrapped around the hilt.

“When you made your final stand, your courage granted her just enough power to tell Zelda how to save you.”

Sky cleared his throat before continuing.

“It took you 100 years to fully recover from that day, but sadly the Master Sword needed more time, much more time. When you drew her again, she was not even close to being fully restored.”

Sky sighed. “She blames herself, you know…for not being strong enough when you drew her for the second time, for not being able to tell you.” 

Wild’s eyes widen as he looks back at Sky. “I don’t understand….”

“Every time she ‘broke’ she was resting to restore her power. She hated leaving you so often, but she needed to build her power back up.”

The sword pulsed again and suddenly everything made sense. Wild never understood why the sword kept disappearing, only to reappear a short time after. He assumed it was because he had initially failed his adventure, and the blade had not deemed him worthy to wield her at her full power for a second time. But if the sword didn’t have enough time to fully restore her power…

“Those trials you went through, they were meant to restore the rest of her power, it was never intended to test the worthiness of her wielder.” Sky assured.

Wild was still struggling to wrap his brain around everything he was being told. “…but the monks said…”

“The monks were wrong,” Sky interrupted. “If you don’t believe me, ask Fi for yourself.”

Wild looked back at the sword as her glow intensified. Sky wasn’t lying. 

Wild held the sword a moment longer before finally passing it back to Sky. 

“When I pulled her for the second time...all this time I thought she made a mistake, that I wasn’t the hero meant to wield her…” Wild muttered.

“She allowed you to draw her from her pedestal, didn’t she? Fi doesn’t make mistakes.” Sky replied, smiling. 

Wild just stood there for a moment, trying hard to process everything.

“…Thank you,” Wild whispered. 

Sky wrapped his arm around Wild’s shoulders. “That’s what brothers are for,” Sky said.

As the two made their way back to the Inn Sky noticed that flecks of what looked like red ash were starting to rise around them.

Wild apparently saw them too because his head snapped up and he whipped around and looked up towards the sky.

“It can’t be” he shuddered.

Sky was still watching the flecks of red ash floating around him. There was something familiar about them, something that caused Sky’s stomach to drop”.

“Are these…flecks of malice?” Sky gasped.

When Wild didn’t answer Sky looked towards the younger hero and noticed that he was staring into the sky, eyes wide with fear.

That’s when Sky saw it. The whole sky had turned an ominous shade of red as more and more flecks of malice filled the air. Then he saw the moon. Hylia above, he had never seen the moon look as eerie as it did at that moment. It was blood red, casting a threatening red glow across the whole land. 

Sky didn’t have to be from this Hyrule to know this was bad.

“Wild! What’s going on?!” Sky demanded.

Wild’s attention snapped back to Sky, eyes still wide. “It’s a blood moon,” Wild gasped. “But this is wrong…I defeated Ganon!”

“Are we in danger?” Sky asked, trying to steady his rising anxiety.

Wild thought for a moment. “No, at least not here. The blood moon is powered by Ganon’s malice. When it rises, it brings back all the fallen monsters' spirits, allowing them to live once again.”

Sky’s eyes widened. On top of all the things Wild had to contend with, he also had a malice moon that would bring all the dead monsters back to life?!

Wild continued talking, more to himself than to Sky. “This shouldn’t be happening. I defeated Ganon. The malice should be gone. Why is it back?!”

Sky could tell Wild was starting to panic. 

“You said we are safe in the town?” Sky asked, bringing Wild’s attention back to him.

“Y-Yeah, we should be. I think the Great Fairy has something to do with keeping this area safe.” Wild answered hesitantly. Even before I defeated Ganon, this village was always safe.

Suddenly the malice disappeared, and the moon returned to its usual color. 

Sky had so many questions, but he knew it would have to wait.

“Good. Let’s head back to the Inn, try to sleep, and tomorrow we will talk to the others about what we saw. This might be the reason we are here. Maybe the malice is somehow tied to the infected monsters we have been encountering.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not my favorite chapter. I hope I was still able to meet everyone's expectations, but I struggled with this. I think its because this part of the story is ending and the next part is starting...I have never been really good at transitions.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I go back to work tomorrow so I don't think I will have the next chapter up before Sunday, but I have it all outlined so I should be out by Sunday night.


	7. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sky and Wild discuss the previous night's events. A few revelations are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***EDITED for grammar on 09/03/2020***
> 
> Remember, this fic is all off my head canon. If it doesn't mesh with what's canon that's why. Please refer to the notes at the end for a little more clarity. I'm also going to change the location of certain things (like Kakariko having it's own stable separate from Dueling Peaks stable.)

Sky was still awake when the darkness of night began to slowly surrender to the pinkish-orange glow of early dawn. 

He sighed to himself, knowing that the lack of sleep was going to hang over him like a heavy blanket. He wasn’t like some of the others in the group who seemingly didn’t need a lot of sleep to function normally.

Sky was surprised to see that Wild had managed to drift back to sleep. Out of all the heroes, he was the one who slept the least, and Sky couldn’t figure out how the kid managed to stay so alert with such little rest. 

Sky let out a soft groan as he dragged himself out of his bed. He decided that, since he was already awake, he would head outside and get the fire started so Wild could cook breakfast.

Time was the first of the heroes to stir from his sleep. Between his life on the ranch and adventuring, he was a natural early riser. He glanced around the inn and was pleased to see the others sleeping peacefully. 

That was until he saw an empty bed, and a notably absent Sky.

Time headed out of the inn to find the missing hero sitting next to a fire, staring off towards the village's towering cliffs. 

“Since when were you such an early riser” Time questioned quietly as he approached the Skyloftan.

Sky smiled softly. “Since this morning, unfortunately.”

Time chuckled before taking a seat next to the brunette. 

The next few minutes were spent in silence as the sun slowly started to rise, casting a warm glow upon the village. The tranquil waterfalls were now visible, as were the green clifftops surrounding the village. Under the warm colors of dawn, the village felt sacred. 

Sky gave a soft hum, drawing the older hero’s attention to him.

Now that Time could better look at Sky’s face, he could see the hints of exhaustion traced across his face. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, lids heavy with dark circles under them. He sat slightly hunched over as if he was having a hard time forcing himself to sit upright.

Time went to ask the young man if he got any sleep that night but was interrupted when Wild, Twilight, and Legend exited the inn. 

All three heroes were clearly shocked to see that Sky was already awake. 

“Wow, Sky is actually awake before the rest of us! I didn’t think that was possible,” Legend teased. 

Wild gave Sky a worried glance, but Sky just smiled back, not wanting to add to the kid’s list of things to worry about.

Before long, all the heroes were awake and outside. Wild had whipped up some omelets for breakfast, and soon they were all sitting in a circle, enjoying their food.

Wild kept glancing at Sky anxiously. Sky could sense that Wild was thinking about the blood moon, and he was certain the younger hero was struggling with how to tell the others about it. 

Sky put his plate down and cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the others.

“There’s something Wild and I need to tell you about” Sky began.

Twilight gave a quick glance towards Wild, noting the nervousness that suddenly appeared on his face.

“During the night, something...strange happened. We were returning to the inn after going for a walk around the village when suddenly the sky turned a dark shade of red.”

Everyone’s eyes widened. 

“What do you mean ‘the sky turned red’?” Four questioned.

“I mean it turned red, like blood red. Right before we got to the inn, I noticed flecks of what looked like red ash starting to float up from the ground. I looked up and saw the moon…” Sky paused, thinking back to how ominous the moon looked.

Time tensed at the mention of the moon, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Warriors, who gave a questioning glance towards the older hero before turning his attention back to Sky.

“…the moon was red. It caused the whole sky to glow angrily. The flecks of red ash seemed to multiply as the moon rose, covering the whole area in a red haze. I have never seen anything like it in my life. There was evil to it, an evil that felt familiar.”

Sky paused as he thought back to his adventure.

“It reminded me of malice,” he continued, “dark magic Demise and Ghirahim used to reanimate things like dead Bokoblins.”

Now it was Twilights turn to tense up. He did not like the mention of dark magic. 

Everyone listened in disbelief, a million questions swimming through their minds. 

Before anyone could think to question what the heck Sky was talking about, Wild spoke.

“It’s called the blood moon…”

Everyone’s heads shot over at Wild. Wild was looking down towards his plate as he spoke, lost in thought. 

“…it used to happen a lot before I defeated the Calamity. Zelda told me that it occurred when Calamity Ganon’s powers reached it’s peak and escaped from her control. The sky and moon would be dyed red with his malice, and all the fallen monsters would rise again.”

“Wait…are you saying this blood moon would bring _all_ the dead monsters back to life?!” Wind gasped. 

Wild nodded.

Hyrule just stared in stunned disbelief. He could not imagine what life would be like if, randomly, a red moon would rise and revive all the monsters he had slain. 

“The blood moon stopped appearing once we defeated Calamity Ganon. It made sense since it was fueled by his malice…”

“So why is it appearing now?!” Legend demanded.

Wild paused. “…I don’t know. It shouldn’t be possible.”

“Why didn’t you wake us?” Time questioned sternly.

Wild flinched slightly before looking up at the older hero, but before he could answer Sky interrupted.

“I told him to wait until morning to tell you.”

Time glared at Sky, obviously confused as to why he would want to wait to tell them.

“Wild said this area was protected by the Great Fairy. Plus, this is a Sheikah village. I’m sure they are using something that helps protect this area. Once the blood moon disappeared, I couldn’t sense any immediate danger. I thought it would be best if everyone were well rested before we continued our journey, especially if malice has returned to this land.”

Time wanted to say something, but he couldn’t argue his logic. Sky would never put the group’s safety in jeopardy, and if he felt like they were safe where they were, then he believed him.

“You said this reminded you of Demise’s magic…” Warriors stated, looking at Sky. 

Sky nodded. “Yes, he used it to reanimate dead monsters and other inanimate objects with it,” Sky confirmed. 

“You called it malice...” Legend continued. “…isn’t that what you said caused the blood moon?” he finished, looking at Wild. 

Wild nodded. “Yes, but malice is more than just magic here.”

“How so?” Twilight questioned.

Wild thought for a moment. “When I woke up, I encountered the spirit of the King of Hyrule. He was the one who first told me of Calamity Ganon. He told me that the demon king was born into this kingdom, but his transformation into malice created the horror that was Calamity Ganon.”

Wild paused a moment.

“It was malice that allowed the Devine Beasts and guardians to be possessed, so there has to be some magical quality to it, but it’s also physical. Malice coated the inside of the Devine Beasts and Hyrule castle like a thick, reddish sludge. It was something you wanted to avoid at all costs.” 

“What would happen if someone touched it?” Wind questioned. 

“It corrupted every creature it touched. I know when I accidentally brushed up against some, it burned me as if I fell into fire.” 

Wind flinched as Wild continued speaking.

“When I fought Calamity Ganon, his appearance wasn’t much different than the Blights I faced in the Devine Beasts. It wasn’t until I started getting the upper hand in the fight that Ganon became enraged. He teleported himself outside of the castle into Hyrule Field. It was there that he transformed into Dark Beast Ganon.”

Four listened intently. He never encountered Ganon in his travels, but many of his fellow heroes had. 

Wild continued. “Zelda transported me onto the field to face Ganon. She told me that Calamity Ganon had given up on reincarnation and had reverted to his pure, enraged form, that he was now hatred and malice incarnate.”

Sky eyes snapped towards Wild. “Zelda told you that Ganon was hatred and malice incarnate?” 

Wild nodded. “The beast looked like it was made of pure malice. It was the same color red as the blood moon, malice seeping from its form. I could feel it’s hatred, it made the air heavy.

Time looked at Sky. He knew what the Skyloftan was thinking.

“That’s why the blood moon felt so familiar, it wasn’t just because it was malice…” Sky mumbled.

“What do you mean?” Twilight prodded.

“It’s Demise.” Sky said, more to himself than to the others. 

Sky looked up and saw a variety of shocked and confused faces staring back at him, only Time seemed to understand what he was saying.

All the heroes were aware who Demise was. Sky had shared stories of his battle with the demon king and the curse he made. They all knew Demise was the reason they were all doomed to their fates, but they weren’t sure why Sky seemed surprised that Demise would be connected to Wild’s Ganon.

“What are you getting at?” Four questioned. 

Sky paused for a moment, trying to get a handle on all the thoughts racing through his head.

“When we first met, we all shared our stories, our adventures. Most of you had similar experiences, either with the Gerudo known as Ganondorf, the beast known as Ganon, or a combo of both.”

Seeing that the heroes were following along Sky continued.

“It seemed obvious that Ganondorf was the result of Demise’s curse, that he was the vessel that housed Demise’s hate.”

Sky turned briefly to Four. “I’m pretty sure Vaati was also a vessel used by Demise.”

He turned to Hyrule and Legend. “You two didn’t encounter Ganondorf due to one of the outcomes of Time’s adventures. Since he had to time travel, your timeline resulted from Ganondorf succeeding and transforming into Ganon permanently. 

Time shift uncomfortably. He would never be able to fully forgive himself for the consequences of his time travel, even if it was necessary.

Sky continued. “There was always a vessel being used by the demon king, so his hatred could live on. But what I felt last night, it wasn’t that it was similar to Demise, it felt exactly like Demise.” 

Everyone’s eyes widened as Sky turned to Wild.

“When you told us how Zelda described Ganon, that he had given up on reincarnation and became hatred and malice incarnate…” Sky trailed off, thinking back to the curse.

“…an incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind…” Sky whispered before continuing. “…Demise wasn’t able to reincarnate in this time, so the Ganon you fought, the one who seemed to be made completely out of Malice, that had to be what remains of Demise. He couldn’t find a new vessel, so he appeared to you in his pure form.”

Wild was shocked. “Are you telling me the thing I fought was actually Demise? The Demon King from your era?!”

Sky shook his head, “You fought what remains of Demise. In a way, everyone has fought a version of Demise, but the beast you fought was Demise’s purest form.”

“Something still doesn’t make sense…” Hyrule piped in, gaining everyone’s attention.

“In all our adventures, something housed Demise before it turned into a beast, right? It was either Ganondorf or Vaati. For Legend and me, we never dealt with Ganondorf because he transformed into Ganon when our timeline was created. In Four and Wind’s eras, Ganondorf and Vaati didn’t transform at all.”

Hyrule looked up to Wild. “But in your era, there has been no mention of Ganondorf or any other being that existed before Ganon. Something had to be containing Demise before Ganon appeared.”

Everyone’s eyes widened at the revelation as Hyrule turned back to Sky.

“You said that Demise could never fully be destroyed, only weakened until he could find a new vessel, so what is housing Demise in this era?” 

Sky just stared at Hyrule in stunned silence. It wasn’t until now that Sky realized no one really knew where Wild fell in their timelines, only that he was the most recent reincarnation of the hero. 

It could be that he fell into Legend and Hyrule’s timeline. Still, neither Legend nor Hyrule recognized anything in Wild’s Hyrule's, so chances where he didn’t come after them. 

He thought about Wind’s timeline, but this Hyrule didn’t seem to have any history claiming it had been covered by a vast ocean so that couldn’t be it.

That only left Twilight’s timeline. It was possible. They hadn’t spent a lot of time in Wild’s Hyrule, but both Twilight and Time had mentioned that this Hyrule felt oddly familiar. But Ganondorf existed in Twilight’s era. As far as anyone knew, there was no mention of the male Gerudo in Wild’s time. 

“Hyrule is right. If the malice is returning to this timeline, then something must still be housing Demise.” Warriors concluded.

“But the Calamity appears every 10,000 years! It has only been a year since we defeated Ganon. It’s too soon for him to be back.” Wild argued, still reeling over the fact that malice had apparently returned to his Hyrule.

“It might have to do with why we are seeing all the infected monsters in our Hyrules.” Sky suggested. “Something is tying all of our era’s together. We are seeing infected monsters overtake all our Hyrules, and now Wild’s Hyrule is seeing the return of malice. Whatever is going on, it's all tied together. It’s probably why Hylia brought us all together.”

“Maybe that’s why we are in Wild’s Hyrule. Maybe we need to figure out why the malice has returned.” Wind suggested.

Wild dropped his head into his hands. This couldn’t be happening again. His Hyrule had only just begun to heal from its hundred-year battle with the Calamity. 

Twilight noticed Wild’s distraught look. He placed his hand on Wild’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out cub, don’t worry.” 

“Maybe it’s time you introduced us to Zelda.” Time chimed in. “She was sealed away with Ganon for one hundred years, maybe she can offer us some information that would help us on this journey.”

“Do you know where she is?” Four asked. 

Wild nodded. “Yes, but it will take us a few days to get to her. It would be quicker if we went by horseback.

“Where are we going to find 9 horses?” Legend scoffed

Wild smirked, and Legend instantly regretted his question. 

“What, you mean to tell me you haven’t caught a wild horse before?” Wild ribbed. 

Twilight couldn’t help but smile. It was nice to see Wild’s mischievous smile return, even if that smile usually meant trouble. 

The remainder of the morning consisted of Wild showing the other heroes how to sneak up on and tame wild horses. Wild had caught one quickly, and Time was rather impressed with how easily Wild was able to sneak up on the horse and calm it down.

The others didn’t have as easy of a time catching their horses. 

Time was the first to catch his horse. Growing up on a ranch gave him a distinct advantage, but he found it difficult to sneak up behind the wild horses. 

Hyrule was the next to tame his horse, a pretty, chestnut mare that seemed to take to Hyrule quickly. 

Before long, every hero had a horse except for Warriors. Every time Warriors got close enough to a horse, he would spook it. Legend found the whole thing hilarious.

Just as Warriors seemed to jump on one of the solid black stallions, the horse quickly bucked and knocked Warriors over before he could fully climb on the horse’s back. 

Everyone laughed, and Wild walked out to where the captain was and helped him up.

“The solid colored ones have always been harder to catch” Wild offered, but it didn’t seem to help Warriors injured pride. “Come on, we all have things we are terrible at. Is it really that big of a deal you can’t catch a wild horse?”

Warriors scoffed, but he knew Wild was right. 

“You can have the horse I caught. I have my own horse at the stable anyway.” Wild offered. 

Warriors graciously accepted the offer. By early afternoon each hero had registered their horses at the stable and packed up their things to set out. 

Wild quickly ran off to get his horse from the stable. After a few minutes, Wild returned, a beautiful silver bay horse walking next to him.

Both Time and Twilight’s jaws dropped open. 

“It can’t be,” Twilight gasped as he slowly approached Wild’s horse, Time following closely behind. 

Wild didn’t seem to notice the shocked expressions Time and Twilight had as they approached. 

Wild smiled and patted his horse against the neck. “This is Epona.” he introduced. “She has been with me through most of my journey, including my fight with Dark Beast Ganon. You won’t find a better horse in all of Hyrule.”

Twilight was the first to approach the horse, and it was then that Wild noticed the shocked look on his mentor’s face. 

“Is it really you, girl?” Twilight asked in disbelief. Epona’s ears perked up in recognition to his voice, and suddenly she was nuzzling up against Twilight. 

Wild looked on, dumbfounded. Epona was a gentle horse, but she only showed that much affection towards himself and Zelda. 

Time found himself slowly approaching. He wasn’t sure how this was possible.

Time found himself standing next to Twilight, and Epona looked down at Time. She flared her nostrils as if taking in his sent, and just like she had done to Twilight, she began to nuzzle up against Time. 

Wild watched as his horse greeted Time and Twilight like she knew them, and he finally saw the looks on their face as if they had seen a ghost.

Time finally stepped back. “I don’t know how it’s possible,” he said.

“Uh, does someone want to tell me what the heck is going on here?” Wild asked, clearly confused.

Twilight continued petting Epona as Time turned towards Wild.

“In my time, Malon had a horse, a silver bay horse named Epona. She was with me through most of my adventures. She is still at the ranch in my time.”

Wild’s eyes widen in surprise.

“I also had a silver bay horse with me during my adventure,” Twilight chimed in. “Her name was also Epona.” 

Wild looked back to Epona, eyes still wide as his hose bumped her snout gently against Twilight and Time.

“I don’t know how she can be here right now. Heck, I don’t know how Twilight had her, but here she is.” Time muttered, petting Epona.

Wild looked on a moment more in stunned silence before finding his voice again. “I think I know a place we can go to get some answers. It’s probably a week’s trek from here, but there is a fountain similar to the Great Fairies that contains the horse god Malanya. If this is really the same Epona from your eras, he would probably be able to explain how that’s possible.”

“Hey! What’s the holdup?!” Legend shouted, snapping all three heroes from their thoughts.

Twilight gave Epona one more pat before turning back to the group. “It’s odd…” he began, catching the attention of Wild.

“Well yeah, it’s odd. I didn’t even think a horse could live for thousands of years.” Wild responded. 

“It’s not just that.” Twilight responded. “I doubt she is the exact same horse that Time and I have in our eras, but somehow she shares the same spirit, and she recognizes us. What I find extra odd is that it’s the three of us that share her.”

Wild just looked at Twilight with a confused look. 

“Think about it. The old man is my mentor, but he was my mentor during my adventure. I am a direct descendant of Time, and because of that, his spirit trained me to use his sword skills. But when you joined the group, I felt this strong connection to you, similar to the one I have with Time. I didn’t know why, but I knew that I was meant to be your mentor the moment I met you.”

Twilight paused as Wild listened on. “It’s just strange, and now to see you with Epona…knowing the old man had her as well...it’s more than just a coincidence.” Twilight pauses again, considering his words before he spoke again. 

“What if this means you are also a descendant of Time’s, not just in spirit but also by blood…”

Wild froze in his tracks, looking up at Twilight in complete shock.

“A-Are you saying we-we’re related?!” Wild stuttered.

Twilight shrugged. “I don’t know for sure, but it would explain the bond we have. I feel a bond with all the Links, but there is something different about you, something that the others don’t have, something that I have only ever felt with Time.” 

Wild’s mind was still reeling from what Twilight said when he was pulled out of his thoughts by Legend's grumblings. 

“It’s about time. I was beginning to think the sun would set before you guys made it back.” Legend quipped. 

Twilight just rolled his eyes as everyone mounted their horses. 

“Well, if everyone’s ready, lets head out.” Warriors declared. “It’s your world Wild, lead the way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got the group out of Kakariko lol!!! This story is turning out to be much longer than I expected lol. There WILL be fighting in the next chapter!!! 
> 
> I want to thank everyone for your amazing support!!!! I know I say it after each chapter, but I cannot stress how much your support has meant to me!!!! 
> 
> That being said, I have had a few people comment that certain decisions I made didn't fit the canonical story, but that's because this is my own head canon. I am using a LOT of inspiration from the Linked Universe comic by jojo, but I am not going in the same direction as that comic. I am using the amazing characters that jojo created and putting them into my own story. There are a LOT of similarities to the comic and the games, but there will be some key differences. 
> 
> Also, I know that there is no official stance on where BoTW falls in the Zelda timelines, but that its been universally decided that BoTW is the inevitable timeline, drawing all three timelines back together. For this fic, I am going to go in a slightly different direction. There will be things I ignore about easter eggs in BoTW so that it fits into my story. Again this is just my own head canon.  
> I really hope I can continue to write a story that you all enjoy! Again, thank you for the amazing support!


	8. Letting Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***EDITED for grammar on 09/03/2020)***
> 
> This chapter got away from me. What was meant to be a short lead in to the next major scene turned into 16 pages. Ugh!!! I literally wrote this all in one shot, no outline, no nothing. I was hoping to start the battle scene in this chapter, but it will have to wait until the next week. 
> 
> I am going to make some changes to the geographical locations of certain areas. The only real change will be the distance to certain locations (I am increasing the distance between Kakariko Village and the bridge, and increasing the distance from the bridge to Dueling Peaks Stable). I wanted to use these locations, but it wasn't working with how close they were, hence the change.  
> The only other major change I will be making is instead of a lake running under Kakariko Bridge I am making it a river. Hopefully this makes sense lol.
> 
> Moving on....

Wild led the group south, eventually reaching a long corridor lined with towering rocky peaks. A simple, well-worn dirt road snaked through the corridor. 

A few of the heroes were immediately on edge because they couldn’t see very far down the corridor. Still, Wild assured them that this was a safe passage and that the only things they might bump into are mountain goats or a random traveler. 

With the threat of imminent danger dispelled the heroes settled into a more relaxed state and found themselves splitting into smaller groups as conversations picked up.

Warriors was flanked by Four and Wind, both listening with great interest as the Caption recounted tales from his adventures. 

Sky, Legend and Hyrule had formed their own little group and were engrossed in their own conversations.

Twilight and Time joined up and hung back behind the rest of the group. They often positioned themselves this way to keep an eye on the unruly heroes. 

Twilight was trying to listen to Time as the older hero spoke. He was reminiscing about the Impa in his time and comparing her to the Impa of this time. 

Twilight would offer a hum of acknowledgment whenever he felt that Time had said something that required a response, but his attention was primarily focused on the lone figure leading the group. 

Wild was unusually quiet. There was no need for him to continue leading the group once they entered the corridor (it’s not like they could get lost or wander off). Still, Wild remained up in front, distancing himself slightly from the others. 

Twilight knew that, on any other day, Wild would have fallen back by now and joined up with the other heroes. 

He probably would have bounced between the smaller groups, joining in on their conversations as he did.

That wasn’t the case that day. Instead, Wild remained by himself, and it reminded Twilight of how Wild behaved when he first joined the group.

Legend had also taken notice. He couldn’t help but think back to when first met the scarred hero.

Wild had struggled when he first joined his 8 predecessors.

Wild would hang at the group's perimeter, distancing himself just enough so he could still hear the others without being close to them. 

The only time Wild really spoke was when he was answering a question, but even then he made his answers as short as possible.

Legend had initially been put off by his behavior. He assumed Wild simply didn’t like them or trust them. 

It wasn’t until they encountered their first battle with their newly acquired hero that Legend had a change of heart.

Even though Wild barely knew them, he was fiercely protective of them. The second the group sensed danger Wild was right at their side.

He took out his fancy slate. Before Legend could think to ask what the heck the kid was doing, he was passing out amber-colored elixirs to everyone, insisting they down it. 

They quickly discovered the amber elixirs enhanced their overall attack power. Legend made a mental note that day to ask Wild where he got them. 

Legend recalled a moment he stumbled during the fight, which gave the monster standing before him the upper hand. Before Legend could recover, the monster had raised its weapon, and Legend knew he wouldn’t block the incoming attack in time. 

A high-pitched whistle caught Legend’s attention just as two arrows buried themselves into the monster’s face, stunning it temporarily. 

Legend stole a quick glance in the direction the arrows came from and saw Wild, bow in hand, standing ready to release another arrow if needed. 

Legend also noticed that Wild left himself exposed to the monster he was fighting to save him.

Before Legend could shout out a warning, the monster slashed at Wild with its blade. Wild had sensed the attack coming and tried to leap out of the way, but the beast still managed to deliver a nasty gash to Wild’s side.

Despite his injury, Wild never let up in the fight and quickly ended the monster’s life. 

Wild, ignoring his injury, stood and surveyed the battle. He noticed Four immersed in his own sword fight and quickly realized that Four was completely unaware of the second monster approaching from behind. 

As soon as Legend spotted the threat, Wild was already running at full speed towards Four. Legend quickly followed suit. 

Wild had reached Four first. He dropped down and slid across the ground behind Four and brought his shield up just in time to block the monster’s deadly sneak attack. 

Legend arrived right as the monster’s sword crashed against Wild’s shield. The monster, arms still held out in front of him as he tried to overpower Wild, was completely helpless as Legend slashed at its exposed side. 

To Four’s credit, as startled as he was at Wild’s sudden appearance, he didn’t allow himself to lose focus. With their efforts combined, it didn’t take long to finish off the two monsters. 

With the battle over, the heroes all gathered around each other. Hyrule went around and checked for any significant injuries. Minus a few cuts and bruises, the group had thankfully fared well. 

Legend glanced around, trying to locate their newest team member. He knew the kid had taken a slash to his side, but he had yet to bring it to anyone’s attention. 

He found the kid hanging back behind the others, close enough to be noticed but not so close so they could see the red stain that was slowing seeping through his tunic. 

Legend knew the kid wasn’t going to say anything. He made a beeline for Wild. 

Before Wild could react, Legend was at his side. Wild froze as the vet looked down at the red stain on Wild’s tunic. 

Legend gave Wild a vexed look before grabbing the blond by the wrist and dragging him back to the rest of the group.

Wild was trying to assure Legend that the injury wasn’t as bad as it looked, but that didn’t stop the vet from dragging Wild in front of the others.

“This dumbass is going to need a red potion,” Legend spat as he let go of Wild. 

The others just stared for a moment, still shocked at the sudden outburst. 

Hyrule was the first to notice what Legend was talking about. 

“Hylia’s sake Wild, why didn’t you say you were hurt?!” he blurted as he made his way over to look at Wild’s side.

“It’s really not that big of a…” Wild stopped mid-sentence, a painful hiss escaped his lips as Hyrule pulled back the edges of his blood-soaked tunic. 

“Don’t be an idiot.” Legend growled. “I saw you take that hit. I’m surprised you’re still standing.”

As if on cue, Wild stumbled slightly, the adrenaline from the fight finally giving away to the pain and blood loss. 

Legend instantly felt a wave of guilt wash over him as Hyrule helped Wild sit down.

Legend stepped back as the other’s rushed forward. He knew the only reason Wild got hurt was because of him. Wild probably made the injury worse when he slid behind Four and took the full force of the monster’s swing.

Thankfully, the injury wasn’t severe, and Hyrule assured everyone that all Wild needed was a red potion and some rest to allow the wound to properly heal. 

Time ordered the group to set up camp for the night.

Despite his injury, Wild seemed more relaxed than he had been in previous nights. He was more talkative and didn’t retreat to the camp's outer edge when it was time to put out their bedrolls. 

Legend wagered it was because of the earlier battle. He was sure that it had to do with the fact they all shared the hero's spirit, and battling side by side together only strengthened that bond. 

Fighting as a team allowed them to showcase who they truly were at heart. In Wild’s case, Legend could see that his exhibiting's standoffish behavior did not reflect how he truly felt about his fellow heroes. 

The only way Wild could have known Legend was in trouble was if he was surveying the battle the whole time. Even though he was engrossed with fighting his own devilish monster, Wild had to be keeping an eye on the others to see how they were fairing. 

Wild had to know that the second he took his bow out and aimed for the monster threatening Legend, he opened himself up to an attack. There was no way he didn’t know. 

He knew he would be risking his life to save Legend’s, someone Wild barely knew, and he did it anyway. Legend saw the way Wild paused as the two arrows found their mark. He wanted to make sure the monster was stunned, was ready to loose another arrow if needed. 

Legend thought about how Wild had taken off towards Four. Even though he was injured and exhausted, his first instinct was to see who needed help. The second he saw that monster approach Four’s back he took off running, dead set on what he needed to do.

This wasn’t something Legend wasn’t already used to seeing. Each group member was equally as protective of one another, but Wild was new, and Legend had trust issues. 

He had no issues trusting Wild after that day, at least when it came to fighting. 

Unfortunately, Wild’s true personality started to come through. Legend found himself wishing the kid would revert to his quiet, reserved self. 

At least he thought he did.

He watched as Wild rode ahead, not making any attempts to join up with the others. 

Legend knew the kid had a lot dumped on him in the last 24 hours, so he understood why Wild was so quiet and distant, but he had gotten used to Wild being…well…Wild. 

Seeing him so subdued felt wrong. 

Legend glanced at Twilight and was relieved to see that he was observing Wild. 

Twilight was better at dealing with these issues.

Twilight noticed the worried glance Legend shot him, which only made his own worry grow. 

Twilight noticed Time staring at him.

“I’m sorry, say that again…” Twilight said, trying to pretend he had been listening. 

Time glanced at Wild for a moment before returning his attention back to Twilight. 

“Still worried about Wild?” Time asked.

Twilight let his shoulders drop slightly. 

Time had to admit he was a little surprised at how distant Wild was acting. When they were all in the field, catching horses, Wild seemed to be in a better mood. 

Sure, the whole Epona thing was strange. Time had to admit he did not do a good enough job at hiding his shock, but that probably affected himself and Twilight more than Wild. 

“What did you two talk about when we were coming back with Epona?” Time asked. He had noticed that Wild seemed very distracted when they were mounting up and Time wasn’t sure what caused the sudden change.

“That’s just it, I think I might have said something that I probably shouldn’t have said” Twilight admitted.

Time raised his eyebrow, waiting for Twilight to explain. 

Twilight sighed. 

“I’ve always had a strong connection to the kid. At first, I chalked it up to my over-protectiveness since he was new to the group and clearly struggled to fit in, but I knew, deep down, this was different."

Time hummed in agreement.

Twilight turned to look at Time. “It’s like the bond I have with you. I don’t know how else to describe it. I thought that maybe I was destined to be the cub’s mentor, to be to him like you were to me.”

Twilight looked back at Wild before continuing. “Then I saw Epona, and I don’t know…something clicked in my brain. Like the missing piece to a puzzle.”

Time listened intently. He knew what the pup was hinting at.

“When Wild brought Epona out, we were the only two to recognize her. At first, I thought maybe her spirit was tied to the hero's spirit, but if that were the case, the others would have recognized her too.”

Twilight paused for a moment, considering the words he was going to say next.

“Then I thought, what if Epona’s spirit is tied to the heroes of _your_ bloodline. We already know I am related to you by blood. But if that’s the case, then that would mean Wild is also related to us by blood. That he isn’t just the next incarnation of the hero, but that he is an actual descendant of ours.”

If Time was surprised by this revelation, he did not show it.

Time looked back to Wild. “Did you tell him any of this?” Time asked.

Twilight nodded. “I made the connection while he was standing next to me. It was hard not to tell him.”

Time nodded. “Well, that would explain why Wild is acting so distant.” 

Twilight let out a frustrated groan. “I knew I should have kept it to myself.”

“Why is that?” Time questioned.

“Well, clearly his mood changed once I told him. He has barely said 5 words this whole trip.”

“Maybe he is unsure what to do with this new information.” Time suggested. “Maybe he is reflecting on our travels together, putting together his own puzzle pieces. Either way, he probably just needs some time to wrap his head around what you said.”

Twilight thought for a moment. Maybe Time was right. Maybe the cub just needed some time to process the idea of him being related to them. It nearly knocked Twilight off his feet when he finally made the connection. 

The only one who didn’t seem surprised by this whole situation was Time….

Twilight’s eyes darted back to Time.

“You knew…didn't you?” Twilight accused.

Now it was Time turn to sign. 

“You knew! You knew all this time, and you didn’t say anything?” Twilight blurted, catching the attention of Sky, Legend and Hyrule.

Twilight paused for a moment to compose himself, and so the three riding directly ahead of them would turn back around and continue their conversation. 

“How long have you known?” Twilight finally asked.

“I figured it out the same time you did, but I had my suspicions since the first time we landed in this Hyrule” Time admitted. 

Twilight just stared at him, his expression begging Time to explain.

“It was more of a feeling than anything. There is something familiar about this Hyrule. I can’t really explain why yet, but I sense it. Then we met Wild. For some reason, he instantly reminded me of you. I didn’t know why, but there was something about him that felt familiar. I noticed how quickly the two of you bonded, how Wild looks to you for guidance and approval, much in the same way you look to me. It was like the continuation of a cycle” 

Time nodded towards Wild. “Then Wild brought out Epona. It was like you said, it was like a missing piece of a puzzle fell into place. She seems to be proof that the three of us share a connection, and I can only think of one connection that separates us from the others.” Time concluded.

Twilight leaned back in his saddle and sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted. 

“I bet Wild wouldn’t mind someone to talk to, even if his behavior is suggesting otherwise ” Time suggested. 

Twilight felt himself suck in a nervous breath. He wasn’t sure how Wild was feeling about everything, but he knew Time was right. He had to talk to Wild, see what the cub was thinking. 

He spurred his horse forward, ignoring the concerned glances from Sky, Legend, and Hyrule. 

Wild could hear a horse approaching. He didn’t need to turn around to see who the rider was.

Twilight slowed his horse, so it was walking shoulder to shoulder with Epona. 

Twilight considered how the was going to break the awkward silence. 

“Are you really that upset that you could be related to the old man and me” Twilight quipped. 

Wild’s head instantly snapped up to Twilight. “What?! Why would you think…That’s not…” Wild sputtered, unable to finish his sentence.

Twilight couldn’t help but laugh, which drew a perplexed look from Wild.

“Sorry. I wasn’t sure what to say when I got up here, so I decided to lead with the one question I was most fearful of,” Twilight admitted. “I’m hoping, judging by your reaction, that I’m wrong?”

Wild just stared at him for a minute. “Do you really think I would be upset about that?” he accused.

“Well…maybe? I don’t know. You’ve been usually quiet this whole time. I wasn’t sure what to think. 

Wild let out a chuckle. 

“Fair enough. I feel like I’ve been one big emotional mess since yesterday, so I can see why you would be worried.” Wild admitted.

“I guess I was just lost in thought. When you told me that you thought I could be related to you and Time…” 

Wild paused for a moment. 

“…I don’t have any memories of my family. I assume I had one…had a mother and a father, maybe a brother or sister. Truth is…I never really thought about it. When I woke up, I was immediately sent on my quest. Zelda helped me recover some of my memories, but they were memories that were vital for my quest.”

Wild looked up towards the sky. A familiar pink glow met his eyes, signaling to him that dusk was quickly approaching.

“There is no one else alive to ask about my family, no one other than Zelda and Impa anyway. The sad thing is, I never thought to ask them about my family. How messed up is that? It’s been a year since I defeated Ganon, a year where I could have asked Impa and Zelda about my family, but I didn’t. It never crossed my mind to ask. But then you tell me I could be related to you, and suddenly all I can think about is my family.”

Twilight didn’t know what to say. He understood all too well what it felt like to not know who your mom and dad were. Twilight never knew his parents. The only thing he knew for sure was they were Hylian. But Twilight still had a family. He had Rusl and Uli. He had Collin and Ilia. 

“I’m pretty sure my father was a knight…” Wild continued, drawing Twilight's attention again. “It would make sense since I was also a knight. I wonder if he helped train me if he was proud of me…” 

Wild suddenly felt his thoughts start to snowball.

“I wonder what happened to them during the Calamity. Were they able to escape? If they survived, did they know what happened to me? Were they killed?” 

Twilight could hear Wild’s breathing speed up, and before Wild could continue, he grabbed by the arm, silencing the younger hero.

“Don’t,” Twilight warned. “I know what you’re thinking, and you need to stop.” 

Wild tried to pull his arm away, but Twilight tightened his grip. 

“Listen to me very carefully. You need to stop. Whatever fate fell upon your family was outside your control. You will drive yourself crazy, trying to figure out what could have happened to them.”

Wild stared wide-eyed at Twilight. Twilight signed and released Wild’s arm.

“Look, I didn’t know who my parents were either. From what I was told, my mother died from an illness, and my father died fighting for Hyrule, but I don’t even know if that is true. I remember being plagued with thoughts of what led me to be separated from them. Did they die? Did they give me up? Did they even want me? I know how quickly those thoughts can snowball and turn dark, and I’m telling you nothing good comes from it.”

“What helped you move past it?” Wild asked.

“I realized that I still had a family, even if we weren’t related by blood. Rusl and Uli looked after me, took care of me, treated me like their own child. I had Ilia, Collen, the other kids in the village. They all treated me like a brother. Even though I didn’t have parents, I still had a family.”

Twilight continued. “Focus on what you have, not what you’ve lost. Hylia knows I will never understand what you went through, but 8 people are traveling with you now and care deeply about you. They see you as a brother. From your own words, I know that Zelda cares deeply for you. You have Impa, Paya, heck even the guard outside Impa’s house seemed to show genuine happiness that you had friends to travel with. I’m sure if we visited the Zora, Rito, Gordon, and Gerudo, we would find others who care about you just as much.”

Wind looked away, and Twilight knew he was right. There was no way Wild traveled across all of Hyrule, rescued 4 different regions from possessed divine beasts, and defeated Ganon without making some friends along the way. 

“I know it’s hard cub, but you need to let go of what you lost and focus on what you have right now.”

Wild knew Twilight was right. He had to move forward. He wasn’t the same Link that he was 100 years ago. When he woke up from the Resurrection Shrine, he began a new life. He made new friends, learned new skills, made new memories. He still had Zelda, the only person who truly knew the old Link and liked the new Link. 

“And, if my theory is correct…” Twilight added, placing his hand on Wild’s shoulder“…I know of at least two family members who are extremely proud of you.”

Twilight smiled, and a sudden wave of emotion threatened to suffocate Wild at that very moment. 

Wild never realized how much he needed to hear those words come from Twilight until that moment.

Wild didn’t know what to say, but that didn’t matter. He didn’t need to say anything. The smile that crept over his face said more than words could. 

The corridor finally ended and the world opened back up in front of them, much to everyone's delight..

Wild took a second to compose himself before bringing Epona to a halt, allowing the others to gather around him. 

“We will continue to follow this road across Kakariko Bridge. There is a stable nearby that we can stay the night. It shouldn’t take us more than an hour to get there. Tomorrow we will head east. If we make good time, we should make it to Hateno Village before nightfall.”

Warriors and Legend groaned at the idea of being on the road for another hour, but at least they would be off the road come nightfall. 

Wild spurred Epona forward, and the group slowly made their way across the bridge. 

Kakariko bridge was made from grey stone and stretched across the river's width below. The bridge was in a sorry state, but thankfully the foundation was solid. Green moss was laced over the stone, a sign of how little traffic the bridge got.

Epona had just made it to the other side of the bridge when her ears suddenly flickered. She stopped walking and let out a nervous whine. Wild’s head shot up, knowing that Epona sensed danger nearby. 

Time and Twilight also recognized her signal, and they were suddenly on high alert, which caused the rest of the group to follow suit.

“What’s going on?” Warriors ask in a hushed voice.

Wild just held up his hand, signaling the others to remain quiet. 

Then he heard it. Moblins. At least 3, maybe 4 were heading their way.

Unfortunately for the heroes, there were more than just Moblins lurking nearby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this chapter got away from me. I literally used one sentence from my outline and the rest I made up as I typed. I really hope it turned out okay. At least I ended it where I have no choice but to follow my outline, so next week should be their first big battle.


	9. Ambush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***EDITED for grammar on 09/03/2020***  
> I had to split this chapter up into two parts. It was getting way too long. I already have the majority of the next chapter finished, so it should be up soon.  
> This is my first attempt at writing a battle scene. Hopefully I don't mess it up too much.

Four Moblins were heading their way, two black and two silver. These were strong opponents, but under normal circumstances, the nine heroes would have little issue taking them down.

However, with the increase in infected monsters they have been encountering throughout the different Hyrules, Wild couldn’t assume this would be a straightforward fight.

“Dismount!” Wild demanded, his voice just loud enough for the others to hear but not so loud to travel to the approaching enemies. 

Normally Wild would remain on Epona. Still, with eight other heroes, all on untested horses, he figured they would have a better chance on foot. 

The others didn’t argue and quickly slid down from their horses.

Wild whispered something into Epona’s ear before giving her a light slap on her flank, sending her back across the bridge. As she turned to run over the bridge, she let out a quick, confident neigh. The eight other horses perked their ears up and immediately began to follow her.

“She’ll keep them nearby,” Wild said as the horses disappeared back over the bridge. Most of their gear was still packed on the horses, but Wild knew Epona wouldn’t go far. She always remained within an earshot of him.

“What’s the plan?” Warriors asked as he kept his eye on the approaching monsters.

Wild glanced around. The path was lined with groups of trees. They easily could take cover and wait for the group to pass by, but Wild dismissed that idea immediately. If he let them pass it would endanger other travelers in the area and Wild would not allow that.

“We’ll split up and take cover behind the trees.” Wild began. “We’ll have a better chance if we can ambush them.”

Wild turned to Hyrule. “You and I will get up into one of the trees. Position yourself where you have cover but can still see the fight. Aim for their face. That will stun them. Stay alert. I don’t know if there are other monsters in the area.”

Hyrule nodded, already reaching for his bow.

“The rest of you, wait until they walk by. Attack them from behind. If we are quick enough, they won’t have time to reach for their weapons.”

Wild knew he didn’t need to instruct them further. This group knew how to fight as one, but he needed to make sure they knew what they were up against.

“The silver ones are the strongest in my Hyrule, followed closely by the black ones. They attack fast, they hit hard, and they don’t go down easily.”

“We should assume they’re infected…” Four added. 

“Which means we need to stay focused. Keep your heads up. Be smart. Be careful,” Time said. 

The group gave a quick nod before quickly and quietly splitting off. Twilight, Time, Four, and Wind went to the left of the path with Wild while Warriors, Sky, Legend, and Hyrule went to the right. 

Everyone was in position, weapons at the ready.

The moblins got to within 20ft of where they hid before the lead moblin, a silver one, stopped. It scanned the area as if it knew they were walking into a trap.

Wild waited. He wasn’t sure what caught the silver one’s attention but knew that, so long as they stayed quiet and still, the moblins would eventually start moving again.

The moblin slowly scanned the area before returning its attention back to the path ahead, as if it were preparing to continue forward.

Wild readied himself, but the moblin did something Wild had not been expecting.

Instead of continuing forward, the moblin let out a quiet grumble and slowly reached for its weapon.

Wild adrenalin kicked up quickly. _It knows we’re here_?! Wild thought

He saw the others tense up below him. They knew their cover was blown.

Wild drew his bow. He knew Hyrule had done the same, even if he couldn’t see him. He knew the others would be ready.

He loosed his arrow and watched as it struck the silver moblin between its eyes. 

Before the other moblins were aware of what was happening, a whistle of another arrow cut through the air, striking the other silver moblin right in the face. 

Wild couldn’t hide the grin as he readied another arrow. _Nice shot kid_.

Hyrule had begged Wild to give him archery lessons the second he saw how talented Wild was with his bow. It had been right after an incredibly hard battle.  
Wild’s weapon broke mid-fight. He didn’t have time to scan his slate for another, so he grabbed the bow already strapped to his back.

Wild was the fastest and most agile of the group, which allowed him to dance around the battlefield, arrows flying at their enemies at a surprising rate. 

Hyrule had never seen someone fight that well with a bow in close combat. Wild would roll out of the way of an attack and come up on one knee, arrow already nocked before letting it fly. The arrows always found their mark. 

Wild wasn’t sure how good of a teacher he would be, but he agreed to train with Hyrule. The two would head off the minute the group stopped for a break to train.

Wild loosed another arrow at the black moblin closest to him. His arrow struck the black moblin just as a second arrow stuck the remaining moblin.

Clearly the training was paying off. 

The others had already charged out from their hiding places, taking advantage of the monsters stunned state. 

Twilight, Time, Sky and Warriors each split off and took a moblin. They were the tallest and strongest of the group and could take the heavy blows of the large Moblins. 

Time and Twilight were the strongest, so they each took a silver moblin while Sky and Warriors took the black ones. This allowed the others to do what they did best. 

Wind, Four, and Legend were quick. Their smaller size made it easy for them to dance between their enemies. The second they would spot an opening they would dash in and deliver a series of deadly slashes and stabs before the monster could react, and quickly dodge out of the way just as the beast unleashed an attack on them.

Twilight, Time, Sky and Warriors, in turn, would deliver massive, fierce attacks of their own the second the monster’s attention switched to the smaller heroes.

It was a dance the group had nearly perfected, and it allowed them to be lethally efficient when they battled.

Wild and Hyrule were skilled fighters, but they were also the group's best marksmen, so they were often used for ranged attacks. This allowed the two to keep an eye on the group while also keeping an eye out for approaching danger.

For a moment, everything seemed to be going well. The group had a good rhythm going. Wild and Hyrule were firing arrows the second they had an opening. The others danced around the 4 moblins. The combo of their speed and strength proving to be too much for the Moblins to keep up with. 

That’s when Wild sensed it. Something had changed. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Something was off, and his body could feel it.

He risked a quick look behind him. He looked towards the bridge for a second, a sense of dread creeping through him. 

That’s when he saw it. Bokoblins, and a lot of them. They must have been patrolling down by the shore of the river when they heard the battle. They were already scrambling up the riverbank.

Wild was already bringing his fingers to his mouth when four blue lizalfos leaped up from behind the bokoblins, landing in front of the bridge. 

Wild let out a shrill whistle before leaping out of the tree, three arrows notched.

Legend spun around just in time to see Wild, midair, release 3 arrows in the bridge's direction. 

Then he saw three lizalfos stagger back as the arrows struck them in the face.

A second later and a fourth arrow zipped through the air, nailing the fourth lizalfo in the face. 

“Damnit!” Legend growled. 

The group was immediately put on the defensive as they struggled to reposition themselves. 

There had to be at least twenty bokoblins charging their way, blue in color. They had fought blue bokoblins in this Hyrule once before.

They weren’t the strongest, but they could put up a fight, especially with 4 moblins and 4 lizalfos to contend with.

Hyrule knew there was no way Wild and he could keep back that many bokoblins. He quickly secured his bow to his back and took out his Magical Sword. 

The sword was beautiful. The sheath and hilt had a red crimson theme, and the middle of the blade housed small red gems running up the sword's length. The edge of the blade was slightly jagged, but that only added to its beauty.

Four had spent nearly a week trying to get Hyrule to trade it to him. 

Only Hyrule could unlock the blades full potential. 

“Stay back!” Hyrule ordered as he approached Wild 

Wild glanced at Hyrule, surprised at the sudden command. 

He saw Hyrule bring the sword up to his face, mumbling to himself as he did.

Suddenly the blade started to sparkle with magical power. 

Wild jumped back. He’d seen Hyrule fight enough times to recognize when the traveler was about to unleash a magical attack. 

Hyrule closed his eyes as he spoke the spell's last words, focusing all his magic into the sword. When he was done, he opened his eyes, and the sword suddenly burst into flames. The magical red flame danced dangerously around the swords blade.

Wild had never seen such magic before. His land had plenty of elemental weapons, but none of those weapons required him to possess magical abilities. 

Hyrule’s sword was not the same as the elemental weapons of his world. The blade was clearly magical, but its wielder had to possess strong magical abilities to unlock the swords powers.

Hyrule’s eyes hardened as he glared at the approaching mob. Normally he would send a ball of fire at an enemy, but this group was large. He would need more. 

The sword pulsed, causing the flame around the sword to grow, both in size and intensity. 

Hyrule knew he was using a lot of his magic, but he had to hold this mob back. He would be ok. This one attack wouldn’t take him out of the fight. He just hoped it would be the only time he would need to use it.

Legend cursed when he saw Hyrule’s sword ignite. Warriors had given the order to fall back a few seconds prior. Legend picked up his pace. 

He hated when the kid used that much magic. No matter what Hyrule said, attacks like that drained him. He also knew he wasn’t going to get to Hyrule in time to stop him.

Hyrule widened his stance as he brought his sword above his shoulder. 

He lunged forward as he brought the sword down, the blade slashing through the air in front of him in a horizontal arch, flames shooting out from the sword as it moved through the air.

The bokoblins stopped dead in their tracks, their feet skidded across the grass as they did. They stumbled back, trying to escape the sudden wall of flames heading towards them. 

Most managed to get out of the way. Some weren’t so lucky, and they were quickly engulfed in the magical flames. 

The attack was successful. A wall of flames now blocked the bokoblins from attacking. 

Hyrule dropped down to one knee. He was panting heavily. His body started to tremble as the side effects of using such a powerful spell started to set in. 

Wild was next to him in an instant, already scanning his slate for a potion.

Wild didn’t have any green potions, but he had a stamina elixir. It would have to do. He brought out the elixir and shoved it in Hyrule’s hands with a force that didn’t allow the traveler to argue. 

Hyrule accepted it, knowing that he would need it if he were to be of any help in the fight in the long run.

The others finally reached the two archers just as Hyrule was finishing the elixir. 

“That was stupid and reckless!” Legend spat as he helped Hyrule to his feet. 

Hyrule shrugged off the insult. He could hear the concern in Legend’s voice. 

“It worked, didn’t it?” Hyrule said.

Legend could only growl in reply. He couldn’t deny that the attack had bought them more time. Hell, it probably saved them in the end. 

“Ready your weapons!” Time shouted as the moblins closed in. 

This was bad. Time knew the fire would only hold off the bokoblins for so long. They were basically surrounded. 

He hoped that Hyrule’s attack took most of them out. 

The nine heroes braced themselves as the moblins lumbered towards them. Time, Twilight, Sky, and Warriors dashed up to the moblins they had previously been attacking, trusting the others to watch their backs if the bokoblins found a way through the fire. 

Suddenly, one of the lizalfos jumped over the fire, landing right behind Time and Warriors. 

Warriors dodged out of the way, but Time wasn’t as lucky. The lizalfo whipped its tail around, catching Time behind his knees. 

Time’s legs flew out from under him and he landed hard on his back, knocking the wind out of him.

The moblin reacted quickly and brought up its club before sending it crashing down towards Time. 

Time had barely recovered before he saw the club heading right for him. He went to raise his shield, only to realize he had dropped it when he slammed into the ground.

Time braced himself. He knew he wouldn’t survive the blow. He thought of Malon. 

_I’m sorry…_

Suddenly, a flash of red appeared above him. Time thought he was seeing things, imagining Malon, but the red was different. He recognized that red. 

Legend saw Time get knocked down and he knew he didn’t have much time. Thankfully he was wearing his Pegasus boots and had remembered to pack a particular set of gloves in his bag, gloves he wanted to have on hand just in case.

He threw the gloves on as he sprinted towards Time. He slid in front of Time, got up on one knee and brought his shield out just in time to block what would have undoubtedly been a deadly blow.

Legend grunted as he took on the full strength of the beast. He felt himself slowly being pushed back.

Time rarely froze up during a battle, but he found himself just staring at Legend as the smaller hero held back the moblin’s club. He honestly thought he would die, and Time was struggling to comprehend that he has been saved. 

Legend growled as he pushed his shield forward. He managed to gain the upper hand and pushed the moblin’s club back, causing the creature to stumble backward a few feet before it fell completely backward. 

Time couldn’t believe what he just saw. Legend was a strong fighter, but he had his limits. Time struggled to block the moblin’s massive clubs, and he was significantly stronger than Legend.

That’s when he saw the gloves. Legend had the power gloves on.

Legend might not physically be the strongest fighter, but he was probably the smartest. 

Legend turned towards Time. He could see Time struggling to comprehend what just happened.

“Hey…old man…” he began, trying to get Time to snap back to reality when suddenly the damn lizalfo that had taken Time out was back. It had gotten the jump on Legend. 

Legend went to raise his shield when he heard the familiar whistle of an arrow. Suddenly, the lizalfo was stumbling back, clawing at its face as it tried to dig out the arrow. 

He glanced back and saw Wild. 

Legend’s mind suddenly flashed back to the last time Wild had saved him. The situation was eerily similar. 

Wild gave Legend a quick nod before taking off to aid the others. 

Legend smirked. The kid had come a long way.

Before, the kid always felt that he needed to face the enemy head-on, no matter the risk to him, to protect the others. He was a solo fighter. He felt responsible for everyone’s safety. He wasn’t used to sharing that responsibility.

Now, there was a trust there. A trust that could only be earned through months of fighting together. Wild was finally able to share the responsibility he felt for everyone’s safety.

And right now, he was trusting Legend to keep Time safe. 

Legend quickly drew his Golden Sword. 

The sword, true to its name, had a beautiful golden blade affixed to an emerald green hilt. 

Four had tried to get Legend to trade his weapon too but gave up the second Legend shot him a threatening glare. 

He leaped into the air. As he began to drop, he brought the sword down and slashed the lizalfo from its shoulder to its stomach, forcing the filthy lizard to retreated. 

Legend spat a curse at it before turning back to Time.

“Are you just going to lie there and watch me do all the work, or are you going to get up off your ass and help?!” Legend snapped.

Legend knew the words were harsh, but he didn’t have time to be nice.

Time eye widened. He sat up and glanced around. He realized he hadn’t moved since Legend appeared in front of him. He was suddenly both embarrassed and angry with himself. It wasn’t like he hasn’t had close calls before. 

He turned back and saw Legend’s hand extended out. 

Time grabbed his hand and allowed the vet to help him up off the ground. 

“Sorry…” Time stuttered. “I…I don’t know what came over me.” 

He saw a flash of concern in Legend’s eyes, which quickly morphed into a look of understanding.

“Near-death experiences suck.” Legend said flatly. 

Time quickly gathered his sword and shield off the ground. The moblin that Legend pushed away had gotten back on its feet and was heading their way. 

Legend was readying himself when he felt a hand grab his shoulder.

He scrunched his eyebrows as he quickly looked at Time. Time gave Legend a quick look as he squeezed his shoulder slightly, and Legend knew that Time was thanking him for saving his life. 

Time quickly brought his hand down and readied his large Biggoron sword before charging at the moblin. 

Legend wasn’t far behind. He could tell Time was pissed. There was an edge to his fighting now, an edge that only came out when he was angry. 

The fight was personal now, and Legend smiled dangerously. Time could be a ruthless fighter when he wanted to be, and Legend was sure he was about to see that side of their leader once again.  
__________________

The three remaining lizalfos jumped over the fire. They eyed the battle, trying to find an opening where they could jump in and catch one of the heroes off guard. 

Wild had been expecting them. 

He notched three more arrows and fired, hitting all three lizalfos in the head.

The three turned towards Wild and charged at him. Wild took out a shield and a scimitar. He wanted to draw the three away from the others. The lizalfos were fast and dangerous, and one had nearly taken out Time. 

It bothered him that he couldn’t find the fourth one. 

Wild began his own dance, one that he was all too familiar with. He had fought plenty of lizalfos before, and he was confident he could take on these three. 

One of the lizalfos leaped forward and thrusted its spear towards Wild. 

Wild leaped to the side, easily dodging the spear. He quickly dashed in close to the lizalfo as it tried to recover from the miss and delivered a series of quick stabs and slashes before the lizalfo retreated.

Another lizalfo tried to catch Wild off guard with a well-timed tail whip, but Wild spun around and swung his shield forward, deflecting the attack back and stunning the creature.

Wild dashed in again and started slashing the lizalfo as many times as he could before it retreated.

A sudden, cool breeze rushed through the area. Wild let out a curse before stealing a glance up towards the sky. 

Dark clouds had formed above them, and Wild felt the first drops of what would likely turn into a downpour.

He looked back towards the fire. He prayed that Hyrule’s fire was resistant to water.

It wasn’t.

The clouds finally broke and released a torrent of rain which quickly extinguished the fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I hope this was an okay chapter. It felt easy to write, but I worry I didn't do a good enough job with it.


	10. Ambush pt 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE! Turns out this chapter was too long too so I am splitting it up into a third chapter. I'm going to try to find an appropriate place to end the chapter that falls somewhat in the middle so the next chapter isn't super short.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***EDITED for grammar on 09/03/2020*****
> 
> Thank you all for your amazing support!!! I still can’t believe what was suppose to be one chapter turned into three!
> 
> I'm sure there are inconsistencies floating around. Please ignore them lol.  
>   
> I hope you enjoy it!!

There were about fifteen bokoblins left, way more than Wild anticipated. 

He let out another shrill whistle. He turned back and suddenly was face to face with the third lizalfo. This one had a forked boomerang. Wild leaped out of the way, but not before the lizalfo attacked. It brought its boomerang down like a knife, catching Wild across the shoulder.

Wild hissed as he grabbed his injured shoulder. He needed this fight to end now.

He saw a boulder nearby. He sprinted towards it as he took out his Sheikah slate. The lizalfo liked to keep their distance before attacking, and Wild was hoping to use that to his advantage. 

He quickly equipped his shock arrows.

_____________ 

Twilight, Wind, Sky, and Hyrule were the closest to the bridge, which meant they would be the first to be overrun by the bokoblins. 

Twilight had just blocked a nasty slash from the silver moblin's broadsword when the rain started. He could hear Hyrule gasp. He knew the fire was going out. 

He growled in frustration as he shoved the moblin back. He slashed at the Moblin, catching it across its leg before it stumbled back. 

He heard Wild whistle. He knew the bokoblins were heading right for them.

Hyrule suddenly appeared by Twilight’s side. He grabbed the strap that stretched across Twilight’s back and dragged him towards Sky. He called for Four to follow.

Twilight wasn’t sure what Hyrule was doing, but suddenly all four heroes were standing next to each other.

Twilight saw the moblin Sky had been fighting about 10ft away. Sky had managed to knock the weapon from the moblins hand before knocking the monster to the ground, and now it was trying to locate its missing weapon. 

Hyrule pulled them down towards each other. 

“Stay close,” Hyrule ordered. He closed his eyes and started mumbling the beginnings of a spell

Twilight shot Sky a confused look. Sky just shrugged as he watched Hyrule. A red aura was beginning to surround Hyrule. Slowly the aurar spread out, encasing all four heroes inside a reddish dome.

__________________________

Warriors and Wind found themselves fighting close to Time and Legend. 

They were close enough that both Legend and Wind found themselves switching between the two moblins as Time and Warriors kept them distracted.

They had also slowly been pushed further down the path and away from the others. 

Wind was the first to notice the weather change.

“Shit, it’s about to rain” Wind cursed as he felt the wind shift. 

Legend groaned loudly. He hated the rain.

Warriors had dodged his moblin, leaving it open for Legend to run over and slash it across its back. 

He was about to thrust his sword in the cursed creature’s side when he felt the rain begin to fall. 

He froze, the sudden implications of the weather change overtaking his thoughts.

He turned and saw the fire Hyrule had created quickly being doused. 

He remembered that Hyrule, Four, Sky, and Twilight had been fighting closest to the fire.

Suddenly a pair of hands grab Legend by his tunic and yank him off the ground and away from the club that was about to come crashing into him. 

He landed roughly on the ground, the momentum carrying whoever grabbed him to the ground as well. 

Legend shot back up, noticing that it had been Warriors who had pulled his ass to safety. 

Warriors gave Legend a perplexed look. “What the hell was that about?”

Legend bristled at the tone the caption had, but he ignored it. Instead, he pointed towards the fire, or at least where the fire had been.

“The fire’s out!” Legend shouted.

That got their attention. They all turned to were Legend was pointing. All that remained of the fire was dark smoke as the rain extinguished the last of the flames. 

“What’s that?” Wind suddenly asked, pointing to the left of the bridge.

A reddish glow could be seen through the sheets of rain. Legend narrowed his eyes. 

He had only seen that kind of glow a handful of times in the past, but never that large. 

“That’s Hyrule!” Legend shouted. “It’s his shield spell!”

The others immediately understood. With the fire out, whatever bokoblins were left were probably spilling out towards them, and Hyrule was probably shielding whoever was nearest him. 

All four took off in a dead sprint. They didn’t know how many bokoblins were hiding behind the curtains of rain, but it was enough to force Hyrule to cast his shield spell.

______________

All Sky, Twilight, and Four could do was watch anxiously as Hyrule continued his chant, eyes still closed. 

The bokoblins had surrounded them, and a few had tried to take a swing at them, but Hyrule’s magic caused their weapons to bounce off the shield he had created.

Sky knelt next to Hyrule. He remembered how exhausted he looked after he summoned the fire. He wasn’t sure how taxing it was to create the shield. 

Another crash against the shield. The bokoblins were getting angry. More of them started striking the magical shield. 

Twilight noticed how, with every strike, the shield flickered, and Hyrule’s face tensed.

The two moblins had made their way to them. The silver one, the one Twilight had been fighting, raised its sword and brought it down against the shield.

The shield flickered again, more noticeable this time. They could see Hyrule straining to keep the protection spell up.

“We need a plan B, now!” Twilight demanded. “Hyrule isn’t going to be able to keep this shield up forever.

The three were suddenly startled by the sounds of lizalfos screaming. They all turned around and saw the outlines of three lizalfos as they were being electrocuted.

Twilight knew that attack came from Wild. He hoped he didn’t get too reckless with those arrows, especially in this rain.

The bokoblins and moblins had temporarily stopped their attacks and were staring dumbly at the three lizalfos.

Twilight knew this was their chance. Sky and Four sensed it too. 

Twilight shot Sky a knowing glance as he readied his weapon. Sky reached out and grabbed Hyrule’s hands, snapping the younger hero out of the trance he had put himself under.

The shield dropped, and Twilight charged out. He caught the first two bokoblins completely off guard. 

He slashed both heavily across their backs twice before lunging forward and stabbing the one right through it’s back, killing it.

The other tried to scramble away, but it ran right into Four. Four thrusted his sword right in the bokoblins chest. It slowly turned black before disappearing in a puff of smoke. 

Two down.

Sky stayed with Hyrule. It took the traveler a few seconds to recover from the shock of being pulled out of his trance. 

Sky held the Master Sword out in front of him as he knelt beside Hyrule.

“You back with us?” Sky asked as he continued to scan the area. He was relieved to see the raining finally starting to let up

“Yeah…I just need a minute,” Hyrule said. Thankfully, the shield spell wasn’t as taxing as the fire spell but having someone interrupt his casting so abruptly left him feeling extremely dizzy.

Sky noticed a couple bokoblins take notice of them. He stood in front of Hyrule protectively, the Master Sword glowing an icy blue.

One of the bokoblins rushed Sky. Sky lunged forward and blocked the monster’s club with the master sword. Sky gripped the hilt tightly as he took another step forward and used the master sword to push the bokoblin backward 

As soon as the bokoblin stumbled backward, Sky swung the sword up and across the bokoblin’s chest. The sword circled above Sky’s head before he brought it back down, slashing the monster across its chest once again. 

The monster stumbled back, and Sky suddenly realized that there were at least five more coming for him. 

Sky took a few more steps forward before stopping. He held the master sword out in front of him as the bokoblins approached. He had to wait for them to get close. 

The bokoblins suddenly charged at Sky. Sky crouched slightly, gripping his sword tightly. 

Hyrule started to panic. He grabbed his sword and jumped up, ignoring the way his vision swam. 

He was about to charge when he noticed Sky’s feet pivot. He stopped just as Sky spun around with incredible speed, the master sword held firmly out as he slashed the bellies of every bokoblin that charged him. 

The monsters flew backward from the force of the spin attack. They didn’t return. 

Hyrule let out a sigh of relief, but he quickly sensed something approaching him from behind.

He turned quickly, swinging his sword up and toward whatever was about to jump him. 

His sword clanked loudly against Legend’s shield. 

“Chill kid, it’s just us.” Legend shouted. 

Hyrule gasped, relief flooding over him as he saw Time, Wind and Warriors run past. 

Sky glanced back, unsure if he should stay with Hyrule or join the others. 

Legend could sense his hesitation. He waved Sky off. “I got him, go help the others!”

Sky nodded, giving one more concerned glance at Hyrule before taking off towards the bridge. 

Legend dug around his bag before pulling out a stamina elixir Wild had made. 

“Are you trying to kill yourself?!” Legend yelled as he held out the elixir to Hyrule. “We don’t have any green potions left, and the stamina elixirs can only do so much.”

“What else was I supposed to do?! It was pouring rain, we couldn’t see anything, and we had a horde of bokoblins charging us.” Hyrule snapped back. 

Legend cursed under his breath. 

“Besides, I knew you would come. You’re just as bad as Twi.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean!?” Legend asked. 

“Don’t play dumb. You might not be as obvious as Twi is with Wild, but I know you worry just the same. I knew you would see the shield.”.

Legend wanted to argue, but he was interrupted when a lizalfo suddenly jumped into view. It was the same one that had attacked Time. It had a nasty gash across its chest courtesy of Legend, the wound oozing black blood. 

Legend jumped up, his sword and shield held out in front of him. Hyrule was up too, his sword and shield at the ready. 

“Back for more ugly?” Legend snarled. 

The lizalfo let out a dangerous growl as it prepared to leap towards the two heroes. 

It never got the chance.

The lizalfo suddenly seized up as a strong electrical current ran through its body. Legend and Hyrule watched as the creature was electrocuted. 

By the time the electrical current faded away, the lizalfo was already turning black. It disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Legend could see the familiar blue tunic through the smoke. 

Wild ran up to them, bow still in hand. Legend noticed a slight limp as Wild approached.

“You guys okay?” Wild asked. 

Hyrule nodded.

“I wanted to kill that bastard,” Legend grumbled. 

“Too bad” Wild quipped, giving Legend a quick smirk.

Legend sighed as he looked around. At least the rain had finally stopped. 

As Wild scanned the area, Hyrule noticed a suspicious stain on Wild’s tunic. 

“You’re hurt,” Hyrule gasped as he pointed to Wild’s shoulder. 

“It nothing” Wild dismissed. 

Legend raised an eyebrow, studying Wild carefully. 

“Trust me, it can wait. As soon as we finish this fight, I’ll let you shove a red potion down my throat. Deal?” 

Legend sighed. “Fine. Just make sure you don’t make me regret this.

All three looked out towards the bridge.

________________

Twilight and Four were positioned almost directly in the middle of the bridge. Twilight had engaged with the silver moblin again while Four was busy trying to keep the bokoblins away. 

Just ahead of them, but still on the bridge, was Sky fighting one of the black moblins. 

Wind had positioned himself in front of the bridge and was busy trying to keep the remaining bokoblins from rushing Sky. 

Warriors and Time were a few feet in front of the bridge, each engaged with the moblin they had previously fought.

Legend looked back at Hyrule and didn’t bother masking his concern. 

“You sure you’re up for this?” he asked. 

“I’m fine.” Hyrule assured.

That seemed good enough for Wild. He took off, Hyrule following close behind. 

Legend signed again as he took off after them.

He wasn’t sure what would kill him first, the infected monsters or the stress from worrying about those two. 

The three split off the second they got toward the bridge. Wild ran off to help Time while Hyrule assisted Wind. 

Legend slid behind Warriors moblin and slashed his sword across the monsters calves, causing it to drop heavily to one knee. 

Warriors leaped up in the air. As he came down, he plunged his sword just below the monster's shoulder. 

The monster screamed as it flung Warriors off him, but Legend suddenly appeared in front of the beast. He lunged forward and stabbed the moblin in the belly. 

Warriors quickly appeared next to Legend and drove his sword into the monster’s chest. 

Finally the Moblin dropped to the ground, it’s body already turning black. 

Warriors ran off to help with Time and Wild while Legend went to assist Wind and Hyrule.

The momentum of the fight was quickly changing as the heroes started to gain the upper hand.

Sky saw Hyrule and Legend join up with Wind. There were still six bokoblins trying to get onto the bridge, but Sky has no doubt that those three would make quick work of them. 

Sky wished he felt just as confident about his own fight. 

Sky felt himself being slowly driven back closer to Twilight as his stamina began to fade. 

Sky was a fantastic sword fighter, probably one of their best, but his stamina was shit, and he knew it.

The fight had dragged on far too long, and Sky was going on over 24 hours of no sleep. 

It wasn’t a good combo for him. 

He managed to bring his shield up just in time to block another attack, his arm trembling under the strain.

Sky could see that Warriors, Wild and Time were making quick work of the remaining moblin. He just had to hold on long enough for them to finish it off, and then they would come for his. 

The moblin pushed Sky further back on the bridge until he was back to back with Twilight.

Twilight somehow ended up with 7 bokoblins ahead of him along with the moblin he had been fighting. Thankfully Four was nearby, and he managed to maneuver his way next to Twilight. 

Twilight slashed violently at the moblin, cutting it deep across the chest. 

He could sense the creature was beginning to weaken. Its attacks weren’t coming as quickly, and they lacked the overwhelming strength they once had. 

Twilight’s attacks remained fierce and strong. Unlike Sky, Twilight didn’t tire easily. He grew up on a ranch, and that required him to work hard from sunup to sundown. 

His training as a hero had helped too. He found the only one that could match his stamina was Time and the only one who surpassed it was Wild. 

_Must be a family trait_

_____

Wild had broken off and joined Hyrule, Legend, and Wind. 

Warriors and Time all but had the moblin beat, and Wild was anxious to get to Twilight. 

It didn’t take them long to finish off the remaining bokoblins. 

Wild stepped up on the bridge first, Legend close behind.

Sky had blocked another attack. He was in full defensive mode now, focusing on blocking and keeping the moblin from getting closer to Twilight. 

He saw a flash of blue and noticed that Wild was heading their way.

Sky suddenly felt his energy pick up. They were finally going to finish this fight.

With a yell Sky managed to push the moblin’s club away, leaving him a small opening to attack. 

Sky planted his foot as he prepared to strike, but his foot slipped on a wet moss patch. He let out a short yelp as his foot slipped out from under him. 

The moblin recovered before Sky did. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am suppose to start working from home soon. If that is true, it will be easier for me to work on the chapters throughout the week. If not, I might have to force myself to post every other weekend so that I don't burn myself out in one day. 
> 
> I really hope this chapter turned out ok. 🤞🏻


	11. Ambush pt 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***EDITED on 9/3/2020 with extra added to the end!!! I like this chapter so much more now that I have properly edited it.***
> 
> Ok, now we are at the end of the fight. Wowza no wonder why it took me so long to write this story. I had no idea how long it was. I didn't know there was a world limit until today lol.
> 
> For real though, I really hope this didn't turn out horrible. I knew I had to write it all in one shot, otherwise I would lose the momentum of the story. 
> 
> I really hope you all enjoy it!!

Twilight heard Sky yelp. He shoved his moblin back, causing it to stumble. Twilight slashed it across the face, temporarily stunning it.

He turned around and saw Sky stumble as he fought to regain his balance.

He also saw the moblin Sky has been fighting desperately swing its club to catch Sky off guard.

Twilight lunged forward and grabbed Sky by his collar. He practically threw Sky behind him to make sure he was out of harm’s way.

Twilight saw the club heading straight for his head. He tried to dodge it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wild and Legend saw Sky lose his balance.

Before they could react, Twilight appeared behind Sky and pulled him back.

They saw Twilight attempt to dodge the moblin’s attack, but it was too late.

The club caught the left side of Twilight’s head with just enough force to send Twilight tumbling over the bridge's side.

Legend’s heart sank. He heard Wild scream Twilight’s name and saw the blond take off at a full spring towards the bridge's side.

Legend tried to grab Wild, but the kid was too fast. He watched helplessly as Wild dove off the bridge.

Just as Wild dove off the bridge, Legend noticed the moblin Twilight had been fighting stand up, it’s gaze falling on Sky.

Hyrule had appeared next to Legend.

Before Hyrule could ask what had happened, Legend grabbed him by the arm.

“Do you think you have enough magic left to put up another shield?”

Hyrule could hear the desperation in his voice.

He nodded. “Y-yeah, if it’s temporary.”

“Trust me, it won’t take long.”

Legend all but dragged Hyrule behind him as he took off towards Sky.

They first had to dash past the moblin that knocked Twilight off the bridge.

Legend turned as he ran and quickly slashed at the moblin’s arm, causing it to lose its grip on the club.

“As soon as Four gets here, put up your,” Legend ordered as they reached Sky.

Hyrule nodded and readied himself.

Legend made a beeline straight towards Four.

Four had not seen what happened since he was facing away from the others.

Legend could tell Four was reaching his limit. It took all the kid had to keep the bokoblins focused on him.

He grabbed the blacksmith by his arm and dragged him back to Hyrule, ignoring Four’s surprised yelp and demands to tell him what the hell he was doing.

He quickly tossed Four toward Hyrule. He would apologize for being rough later.

Hyrule watched as Legend reached into his bag, pulling out a familiar golden medallion.

Hyrule quickly summoned his shield.

Four still had no clue what was going on, but he knew enough to stay close to Hyrule.

Whatever was making Hyrule put up another shield couldn’t be good.

Legend held the bombos medallion in his hand and concentrated. He had his sword close to his chest as he channeled the medallion's power into the blade.

All the enemies left on the bridge were quickly making their way toward him.

They were too late.

Legend could see his sword begin to sparkle, letting him know it was fully charged.

Legend crouched slightly and brought his sword over his shoulder.

Four and Hyrule watched as Legend preformed a spin attack, his sword creating a ring of fire as he did.

Suddenly the whole bridge was being bombarded with a series of small explosions.

Four flinched as the explosions went off all around them, but Hyrule’s shield remained steady.

Time, Warriors, and Wind were just about the step onto the bridge when the explosions went off.

The three quickly fell back and watched in stunned silence. Legend only used his bombos medallion in emergencies.

The attack was strong and dangerous, and it would often leave Legend exhausted.

Time felt his stomach sink. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what drove the vet to use the medallion in such close combat.

The explosions went on for about a minute before they slowly started to fade.

Legend dropped to one knee, panting heavily as he looked around.

A tight smile crossed his lips when he noticed none of the monsters survived the attack.

Hyrule dropped his shield. Four shot him a worried look, but Hyrule assured him that he was fine. With the fight over, Hyrule knew he would soon crawl into his bedroll and sleep for the next 24 hours.

Warriors and Time made their way to the others.

Legend slowly got up and made his way back to the group.

He already noticed Time doing a headcount.

Warriors noticed that something was wrong with Sky. He looked to Four for answers, but Four just shrugged.

“Where’s Wild and Twi?” Time finally asked.

The other’s popped their heads up, only realizing now that the two were noticeably absent.

Sky flinched when he heard Twilight’s name. Four gave Warriors a confused look.

Warriors was sure Sky was in shock. He had never seen the chosen hero so shaken up before.

Through all their ups and downs, Sky remained as steady as a rock. He was their anchor, the calming, reassuring presence that they often needed.

But at that moment, Sky looked like he was about to fall apart. Warriors had a terrible feeling it had something to do with Twi and Wild.

Legend walked up to Time.

He needed to keep his explanation short and to the point.

“One of the moblins caught Twilight off guard. He got knocked into the river. Wild dove in after him.”

Legend wasn’t going to call out Sky. There was no need to. He was sure Sky was never going to forgive himself, even though it wasn’t his fault.

A mixture of stunned and worried shouts mixed together as the others processed what Legend just said.

Legend saw the fear that gripped Time at that moment. Time immediately stormed off to go looking for them, but Legend quickly grabbed his arm.

The look Time gave Legend almost caused the vet to let go of his arm. He was pretty sure Time was about two seconds away from punching him in the face.

“I’ll go!” Legend ordered, trying not to look intimidated. “You get the others to the stable.”

Time straightened up, and Legend was suddenly aware of how much taller the older hero was.

“No! I’m going...” Time started to argue, but Legend cut him off.

“I’m quicker than you, and you know it! Let me look for them, and you get the others to the stable. I promise I will find them, and I will bring them back!”

Time stared at Legend for what felt like an eternity before giving a slight nod.

He knew Legend was right. Not only was Legend naturally faster than him, but he was also wearing his Pegasus boots. As much as Time hated not being the one to go, Legend was the better choice.

He watched as Legend disappeared below the bridge before turning back to the others.

Warriors was supporting Sky while Four was helping a now exhausted Hyrule.

He wondered how he would get them to the stable when he suddenly remembered something Wild said earlier.

Time left his ocarina with his camping gear, but he could whistle the toon.

The others watched as Time whistled a few notes to what sounded like a song.

He hoped she still remembered it.

Suddenly he could hear Epona neighing in the distance.

A few moments later, Epona came charging back across the bridge with the other horses in tow.

She trotted up to Time and nuzzled him.

“Good girl,” he whispered as he jumped up on her back.

The others followed suit.

Time looked down the river one last time as evening began to set in. He sent up a silent prayer that his boys would be okay, and that Legend would bring them back before leading the others to the stable.

________________________________

Wild had changed into his Zora armor as soon as he hit the water. The current was strong in this area, and the water was freezing.

Even with the Zora armor, he found it challenging to navigate the river.

Twilight couldn’t have drifted far. Wild dove into the water, maybe 20 seconds after he fell in.

Wild frantically scanned the water's surface, looking for any sign of his mentor.

That’s when he saw it—a flash of black fur against a dark green tunic.

Wild swam as hard as he could towards his mentor. He was able to grab ahold of one of the belts Twilight used to carry his gear and pulled him close.

It took all that Wild had to keep Twilight’s head above the water. His gear was weighing him down, and the current was trying to rip him from Wild’s grasp.

Wild looked around searching for anything to grab onto when he noticed they were heading straight for the rapids.

Large, jagged rocks shot up throughout the river, causing the water to rush Even faster through the narrow channels.

Wild knew they were going to hit the rocks, and they were going to hit them hard.

He quickly rotated, putting himself between Twilight and the rocks.

Suddenly Wild black slammed hard into one of the boulders. His head whipped back and cracked against the rock, causing Wild to blackout for a second.

He recovered just in time to grab Twilight before he was swept away.

He barely had Twilight secured in his grasp before he was sent crashing into another boulder.

His shoulder and arm exploded in pain, and saw his vision darken along the edges.

The set of boulders he crashed into were more extensive than the last, and Wild found a small area that he was able to latch onto.

Wild wasn’t sure what to do next. The pain in his shoulder and arm was growing. He struggled to keep his grip on the rocks and Twilight at the same time.

He tried to look for a way back, but his head was throbbing, and he found his eyes couldn’t focus on the shoreline.

Wild started to panic. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to get Twilight to the shore at this rate.

  
_______

  
Legend ran as fast as his Pegasus boots would allow him, pushing through the exhaustion that he knew would soon overcome him.

He kept scanning the river as he ran, hoping to spot some sign of life.

Legend was quickly losing hope, the closer he got to the rapids. The river was roaring at this point, and he wasn’t sure how Wild would swim through it safely.

Legend stopped at the mouth of the rapids to catch his breath. He knew he was pushing himself to the limit, but he had a promise to keep.

He scanned the river as he tried to steady his breathing.

They were quickly losing the daylight. Legend knew he had to act fast.

He took off running again, looking for any sign of the two missing heroes…brothers.

Something caught his eye. A flash of red? He stopped and scanned the river, trying to find what caught his attention.

_________

  
Wild’s strength was slowly starting to fade. He felt his arms trembling as he struggled to hang ono the rocks.

Wild closed his eyes. He was going to die…again. He was going to drown, and his mentor…his brother, was going to drown with him.

Wild couldn’t believe it was happening again. He was going to die, and he wasn’t going to be able to save the one person he cared for the most.

Was this really how Hylia wanted his life to end? Feeling like a failure? Was that his ultimate fate?

Suddenly something sunk loudly into the rocks next to him. Wild was so startled he almost lost grip on the rocks.

He looked over and saw a hookshot…Legend’s hookshot…gripping onto the rock next to him.

His head snapped towards the shore, and he saw Legend standing in the shallows of the river, ready to pull them in.

“Legend!” Wild gasped in relief. They were going to survive.

Wild knew he had to let go of the rock to reach the hookshot. He gripped Twilight tightly and let his hand slip from the rock.

The second he felt his arm touch the hookshot, he began to weave his arm around the chain, wrapping the chain up his arm.

He grasped the chain with his hand and tried to look back at Legend.

Legend watched as Wild clung to the chain of his hookshot.

Once Legend felt Wild had a good grip on it, he began to pull them in as quickly as possible.

Legend stepped out as far as he could in the river.

As soon as Wild was close enough, he stood up, and Legend ran around to help him carry Twilight to the shore.

Wild collapsed as soon as they were out of the water, taking Legend down with him.

Legend was up instantly. He grunted as he flopped Twilight onto his back and listened for breathing.

Wild crawled up on the other side of Twilight and watched Legend anxiously.

“Damnit!” Legend cursed. 

Twilight wasn’t breathing.

He pinched Twilight's nose and started forcing vital breaths into his mouth.

Legend could feel Wild next to him. He knew the kid was probably on the brink of an emotional breakdown.

He gave Twilight another breath.

“Breathe damnit,” he muttered as he blew another breath into Twilight.

He rechecked his breathing.

Nothing. Twilight laid there, lifeless.

“You’re too damn stubborn to die like this!” Legend growled, his voice growing louder. He gave Twilight another breath.

“Please Twi...” Wild choked, watching desperately for any sign of life from his mentor. "...don't die..."

"You hear that? Don't do this to the kid..." Legend begged as he rechecked Twilight.

Nothing.

"You're the strongest out of all of us! Are you really going to let a fucking moblin best you?!"

Another breath. Still nothing.

“You don’t get to fucking die Twi,” Legend yelled, his fear finally overtaking him. 

Another breath.

"I promised the old man I would bring you back...alive!" Legend spat.

Another breath.

"Are you really going to make me break my promise to Time?"

Another breath.

Legend felt himself start to break.

Damnit Twi, I can't have someone else die..." he pleaded.

Another breath.

Suddenly Twilight’s body convulses, and he began coughing up water.

Legend let out a choked sob. He closed his eyes and bowed his head briefly, temporarily overcome with relief. 

Twilight’s cough intensified. Legend quickly rolled him onto his side so Twilight wouldn't choke on the water.

Wild also let out a choked sob the moment Twilight started to cough. He sank heavily onto his knees, the adrenaline quickly leaving his body.

Suddenly he felt the world start to tip.

“Whoa!” Legend shouted when he saw Wild start to pitch to the side.

He grabbed the champion by the arm before he crashed face-first into the ground. Wild cried out in paint.

Legend quickly adjusted his grip. He studied Wild closely.

It was hard to tell what injuries the kid had since he was soaking wet. The red fabric of his Zora armor didn’t help any.

Legend suddenly found himself thanking any goddess that would listen that Wild had decided to dye the ordinarily dark blue armor red. Had he not, Legend probably wouldn’t have spotted him trapped against the rocks.

“Mmm fine...” Wild mumbled.

“Bullshit!” Legend snapped, having absolutely no energy left to censor himself. 

The kid’s eyes looked off. It was getting too dark to see clearly, but Legend knew the kid probably had a concussion.

He carefully helped Wild lie on the ground next to Twilight.

Legend gently prodded the shoulder Wild had injured earlier. Wild hissed at his touch, and Legend’s fingers came back red.

He noticed Wild’s one leg twitching, almost as if the muscles were spasming.

He slowly rolled the Zora pants up and saw angry red welts running up his leg in thin lines.

Legend recognized the injury. He had experienced similar injuries in the past.

He thought back to when he noticed the three lizalfos being electrocuted during the rainstorm and the slight limp Wild had when he returned.

Wild must have used his shock arrows and clearly didn’t get far enough away when he did.

The damn fool was probably standing in a puddle of water that ran under the stupid lizards when he shot them, judging by what little he could see of his leg.

Wild winced again as Legend pulled down his pant leg.

“Damnit kid, I told you not to make me regret our deal!!” he snapped. He couldn’t hide the worry that seeped into his words.

“I should have known you were hiding more injuries!” he continued, “I swear, next time I’m not asking, I’m just going to force a potion down your damn throat.

A howl suddenly pierced through the air as night started to fall. Legend looked up and saw 5 giant wolves slowly approaching.

"For fuck sake!" Legend moaned as he went to stand, but Wild suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

Legend turned and saw Wild with his slate out.

He was leaning against Twilight as he clumsily slammed on a few buttons.

“Screw this….” he mumbled as he hit the final button.

Before Legend could react, a familiar blue glow began to weave around him.

He had never been transported with Wild’s freaky slate before. Had he been given the option, he was sure he’d rather deal with the damn wolves than slowly dissolve into the air. Hell, he’d probably fight Ganon again then get de-materialized.

Sadly, he wasn’t given that option. He felt his whole body go numb while the world around him slowly faded into an abyss of blue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished! I really hope you all enjoyed this part of the story. It was my first attempt at writing a fighting scene. I am actually really happy with this chapter, which is surprising since I usually am overly critical of what I write.


	12. A Promise to Keep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Major edits to grammar in this chapter (09/03/2020)***  
> I have to thank you all again for leaving such kind, supportive comments. I mean it when I say that I read every single one and every single one means so much to me!!! Had it not been for your support I don't think I would had pushed through the first part of the story.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter. No beta for this chapter. I am going to reread it tomorrow and correct any errors I find. This chapter basically ends the first half of this story and I will start to segue into the second half next chapter. If all goes well, after this fic is done I will start on the second story of the series...the story I had originally started to write but decided to throw a prequel story in first. 
> 
> This story might be a bit of a mess. I really didn't have an outline for this chapter. I started to write one but decided I'd rather just let the chapter write itself. Not sure how successful it was.

Time sighed in relief once he saw the stable in the distance. He glanced back to the others, noting how tired they looked.

Four was riding with Hyrule, who had fallen asleep shortly after they set off.

Time had tethered Hyrule’s and his horse to Epona so they wouldn’t wander away.

Sky looked like he was still out of it. Warriors and Wind rode on either side of him, making sure his horse didn't drift away from the road. 

They exchanged worried glances between themselves but said nothing.

As they approached, the stable master came out and greeted them.

"Hello! You all looking for a place to stay for the night?"

“We are,” Time nods.

“Wonderful! We don’t have any travelers staying tonight, so our beds are available.”

Time grimaced slightly. No travelers meant that Legend, Wild, and Twilight haven’t made it back. Time wasn’t sure why he thought the three could possibly beat them to the stable, but he had hoped.

The stable master did a quick headcount before continuing. “We only have 4 beds, but you are welcome to layout some sleeping mats.”

“Thank you.” Time replied. He gave a quick glance around the area before continuing. “We are expecting three more to show up soon. One might be injured.”

“I’ll keep a lookout,” the stablemaster said. “We don’t have a lot of medical supplies, but you are welcomed to them.”

“That is kind of you, thank you.” Time replied.

They dismount from their horses and begin gathering their gear and supplies. Time nodded at Four, signaling him to take Hyrule inside.

Warriors watched Sky as they gathered their gear from the horses. Sky didn’t seem as shocked as he did earlier, but he still had a distant look. He was going through the motions of getting his stuff together, but his mind was clearly somewhere else.

Warriors gently slapped at Time’s arm, nodding towards Sky once he had the older hero’s attention.

Time glanced at Sky briefly before looking back at Warriors. They didn’t need to speak to understand what the other was saying.

Time gave a quick nod, silently agreeing that Warriors needed to take Sky somewhere and figure out what happened.

Time watched as Warriors approached Sky cautiously. After a few moments, Warriors placed a hand on Sky’s shoulders, and the two slowly walked away from the stable.

They were heading towards a body of water not far from the stable. It was then that Time noticed the blue glow coming from across the water.

Time knew it had to be some sort of Sheikah structure since it had the same blue glow that Time often saw when Wild used his Sheikah slate.

Time wondered if this was one of the shrines Wild had mentioned before. 

Time had seen Wild teleport once before. He wasn’t sure how it worked, but Wild said he could use his slate to teleport to any of the blue Sheikah towers and shrines in his Hyrule.

His thoughts were interrupted when Wind suddenly appeared next to him. “Should we bring Warriors and Sky’s stuff inside?”

“Yeah,” Time said. “I don’t think they will be coming inside for a while.”

“I’m worried about him,” Wind said as he watched Warriors and Sky sit down next to the water. “I’ve never seen him look so…” Wind trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

“I haven’t either,” Time said. “I’m worried too. Sky doesn’t get rattled easily. I’m sure Warriors has had soldiers under his command that have reacted similarly, so hopefully, he knows how to help.”

Time found himself staring out into the distance again, his thoughts switching to Twilight. His stomach sank. Sky was with Twilight on the bridge. He was sure whatever was wrong with Sky had something to do with Twilight.

Legend hadn’t said much, but Time could see the worry in Legend’s eyes when he insisted he should be the one to look for them.

Time still wasn’t sure why Legend had used his bombos medallion. The situation had to be desperate for the vet to use such a powerful spell.

The more Time thought about it, the worse he felt.

He felt Wind’s hand gently grab his arm. He looked down and saw Wind, giving a slight but reassuring smile. “They will be ok Time. Legend will bring them back. Besides, Twi and Wild are too damn stubborn to die.”

Time raided an eyebrow at the kid and let out a soft chuckle. “That they are,” he said.

“Let’s go check on Hyrule. Wind suggested as he gathered up Sky’s gear. Hopefully, Four already has him in a bed so he can sleep.”

Time let his gaze linger into the distance a moment more before he turned towards Wind. “Alright,” he sighed.

Hyrule was not sleeping. In fact, he was sitting on the edge of the bed while Four tried to convince him to lie down.

“You should be sleeping.” Time said as he approached the two.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell him, but this fool won’t listen.” Four huffed.

“Hyrule…” Time sighed, exasperated.

“Not until Legend, Twi and Wild return,” Hyrule said wearily.

Time signed again. Why must they all be so damn stubborn? “Fine, but you’re not getting out of that bed, understood?”

Hyrule nodded. He looked like a stiff breeze could knock him over at this point, but Time knew he wouldn’t fall asleep until he knew the others were safe.

He was also sure he would have to stop Hyrule from trying to heal them, depending on how bad off they were when they return.

_ …if they return _

Time shook his head, trying to shake that sudden, terrifying thought from his mind.

\-----------------------------------------

Warriors and Sky sat by the water's edge. Sky had pulled his knees up towards his chest, his arms wrapped around them. He looked off towards the shrine, his expression unreadable.

They didn’t say anything at first. Warriors wanted to make sure Sky had time to relax a bit before he tried to ask anything.

Warriors had seen soldiers behave like this before. It happened whenever they saw something traumatizing.

Warriors knew that what usually traumatized soldiers was seeing one of their own fall in battle.

Warriors needed to know.

“Sky,…you with me?” he asked softly.

Sky hummed in response.

“Can you tell me what happened? On the bridge?” he asked, keeping his tone soft and steady.

Sky dropped his head and pulled his knees up closer to his chest.

It was dark, but Warriors could see Sky’s expression change. He looked scared. His eyes were wide again, and Warriors could tell Sky was thinking back to what happened.

“It’s my fault,” Sky finally said, his voice quiet and raspy.

Warriors scrunched his eyebrows together. “What’s your fault?”

“Twilight…” Sky replied quietly.

The only thing Warriors knew was what Legend told them; that Twilight had been hit by one of the Moblin’s and knocked into the river.

“That wasn’t your fault…” Warriors began.

“Yes, it was!!” Sky snapped.

Warriors felt his breath hitch. He never heard Sky sound so angry. He was confident that the anger wasn’t directed at him. Sky was mad at himself.

“You weren’t there…” Sky continued, anger still seeping into his words. “…so don’t try to tell me it wasn’t my fault when I know damn well that it was!”

Warriors didn’t respond right away. He just stared, wide-eyed, at Sky. Where was this coming from? Sky was not known to be this hard on himself. That honor went to Wild and Twilight.

Warriors didn’t miss the fact that Sky had cursed. That was something the Skyloftian rarely did.

Clearly, he wasn’t going to be able to talk Sky out of this. Not at that moment.

“What happened exactly?” Warriors asked hesitantly. He needed to hear Sky’s version of events before he could begin to help the guy work through this guilt.

“I screwed up…” Sky muttered, as his anger quickly started to die down.

Warriors said nothing, hoping Sky would fill the silence floating between them.

“I got sloppy...” he continued, his tone more defeated than angry. “…I was attacking that Moblin with everything I had, but it wasn’t enough. I could feel myself tiring. That thing started to gain the advantage over me…”

Sky scoffed, clearly frustrated with himself. “The others in the academy always made fun of me because my stamina was shit. Zelda told me they were just jealous because I was the better swordsmen, but they were right. I knew I tired easily. It only made me train harder with a sword. I figured if I could defeat my enemy quickly, it wouldn’t matter.”

Warriors knew all too well how cruel students at the academy could be. He had seen it with his own eyes. Hylia forbid someone display real talent and skill. It just made them a bigger target.

“But this Moblin…it wouldn’t die. I could feel my swings getting slower. I could feel it slowly pushing me back towards where Twi and Four were fighting. Before I knew it, I was practically back to back with Twilight, and it took all I had to keep that moblin back. I blocked its club for what felt like the 100th time when I saw Wild and Legend approaching the bridge. Goddesses, I was so relieved. I knew once Wild and Legend got to us, the fight would be over.”

Sky tensed up suddenly, and Warriors could sense that he was about to get into what was really hurting him.

“I managed to push the moblin back enough to get in another strike. I should have known better. I knew I was exhausted. I went to dash in for an attack anyway, but I lost my footing…”

Sky hung his head lower. “…I couldn’t gain my balance in time. The Moblin had already readied itself to strike me. I knew I wouldn’t be able to recover in time to block it. Suddenly I was being thrown backward. I landed hard on the ground, and Twilight appeared right in front of me.”

Sky paused. Warriors could hear his breathing increasing. Sky suddenly looked up at Warriors, panic in his eyes.

“I couldn’t stop it, Wars…Twilight didn’t have enough time to get out of the way…I saw him get hit…I heard the club collide with his head…I saw him go over the edge of the bridge…goddesses he looked like he was already…”

Warriors grabbed Sky firmly by the shoulders.

“Look at me!” Warriors demanded when he saw that Sky was looking down again, hyperventilating. “You need to breathe, or you’re going to pass out!”

He grabbed Sky’s hand and placed it on his chest. “Breath with me,” he said, and he took in slow, deliberate breaths. Slowly Sky started to match his breathing, and after a few moments, Sky had managed to calm down.

“Listen to me very carefully…” Warriors began, and he brought Sky’s head up so that he was looking into his eyes.

“That was not your fault. You got that? That could have happened to anyone of us. We have all had our missteps during a fight. Goddesses Sky, you are not a machine! Would you think it was my fault if our roles were reversed? Would you blame me?”

Sky glanced towards the ground. “You wouldn’t have slipped…” he mumbled.

Warriors scoffed. “Seriously? Sky, do you know how many times I have messed up during a fight? More times than I care to count. I know you have seen the others stumble during a fight. I recall you saving Wind’s ass from what would have been a lethal blow because the poor kid caught his foot on a rock.”

Sky didn’t say anything.

“Sky, we were all tired. The monsters in this Hyrule are strong, AND those cursed things were infected. Hell, Hyrule used so much of his magic the kid’s probably going to sleep for a solid week.”

Warriors almost thought he saw a small smirk on Sky’s face.

“At least this was a freak accident. Back when I was still on my journey, I nearly died, and I put my friends in danger in the process, because I had gotten too cocky.”

Sky looked up, confused.

“It was after I got the Master Sword. There wasn’t a monster I fought that I couldn’t beat. I had been the top student at the academy, and with the Master Sword, I thought I was invincible.”

Warriors thought for a moment, reflecting on those days. Gods, if Legend thought he was cocky now…

“I jumped into a fight I had no business getting into. I was outnumbered, but I was too arrogant to notice. I thought I couldn’t lose. I was wrong.”

He glanced at Sky, making sure he still had his attention.

“The only reason I didn’t die that day was because my friends rescued me. They put their lives on the line to save me. Had any of them died, it would have been because of my arrogance. I didn’t have some freak accident in battle, I made a poor decision, and it nearly cost me everything.”

Sky’s shoulders dropped slightly, the tension from his body starting to fade. Warriors hoped maybe his words had gotten through to Sky

“…but what if he’s dead…what then? I will never forgive myself…” Sky whispered.

“You are not responsible for Twilight’s actions,” a voice suddenly interrupted.

Both Sky and Warriors spun around and saw Time standing behind them. Warriors wasn’t sure how long he had been standing there.

Sky visibly flinched. He wasn’t expecting Time to appear.

“Time…I’m sorry….” Sky started to blurt out, but Time shook his head.

“Stop. There is nothing to be sorry for. Like I said, you are not responsible for Twilight’s actions. Twilight knew the risk he was taking. I also know that Twi would be pissed if he could hear you talking right now.”

Sky looked like he swallowed a frog.

“You know it’s true. Twi didn’t save you just so you could turn around and hate yourself because of it.”

That seemed to get through to Sky.

Warriors nodded in agreement. Damn if the old man couldn’t drive a point home. He was always better at dealing with these kinds of situations.

Suddenly, the shrine that stood ahead of them started emitting a strange, eerie sound.

Time took a step forward as Sky and Warriors jumped to their feet. They were all locked onto the glowing blue structure, trying to figure out what in Hylia’s name that sound was.

Blue tendrils of light started to materialize on the platform in front of the shrine, whirling around as they grew in intensity.

Suddenly, three forms started to form about a foot or two above the platform. Time had caught on to what was happening a good second before Sky and Warriors.

He took off, trudging through the water as fast as he could just as the forms of Wild, Twilight, and Legend came into focus.

Sky and Warriors took off almost immediately after, finally realizing what was happening.

Time was halfway to the platform when he saw Wild, Twilight, and Legend fall from where they had been hovering just a second before, the three landed hard on the ground.

Time’s speed increased when none of them made any attempt to sit up.

Time could see Wild lying across Twilight’s back, one hand grasping tightly to Legend’s arm, who was lying next to Twilight.

Wild and Legend were conscious. Both were groaning in pain and were slowly starting to move as the shock of teleporting started to wear off.

Twilight had not moved or made a sound.

Time drops hard to one knee the second he reaches the platform, his hands hovering as if he was afraid to touch them. Sky and Warriors arriving just a few seconds later.

Wild and Twilight were soaking wet. Time could see blood streaked across Twilights face, no doubt coming from wherever the club had contacted his head.

Wild looked utterly dazed, and Time was sure the kid had some sort of head injury too.

Legend didn’t appear injured, but he was moving much too slowly for Time’s liking.

Wild rolled off Twilight’s back, his head spinning. He had not expected the teleporting to take so much out of him.

Wild looked up and saw Time’s panicked face come into focus. Time was glancing between the three of them quickly, not knowing who he should focus on first.

Wild decided to help him out.

“Take…Twi...” he gasped, squeezing his eyes shut when the world decided to spin again.

Time didn’t need to be told twice. He got up and grabbed the arm of the person closest to him.

Sky.

“Help me pick him up!” He ordered, barely controlling his own panic.

They knelt on either side of Twilight, each grabbing hold under his arms. 

Warriors jumped in and help hoist Twilight up, his arms hanging limply around Sky and Time’s necks.

The second Twilight was secured in their grip, they took off as quickly as they could back towards the stable.

Warriors went to follow but hesitated when he heard Legend moan out a curse.

He dropped down next to the vet, checking him over for any sign of injury. Legend was on all fours now, his eyes screwed shut from the effects of being teleported and the sheer exhaustion that was threatening to overtake him.

Warriors saw movement to his side and looked up in time to see Wild stand up.

The second Wild was upright he immediately pitched to the side. Warriors had to lunge to grab him before he tumbled into the water.

“Whoa, you ok?” He asked as he helped Wild steady himself.

Wild didn’t answer and shrugged off Warriors' hand.

“Grab him before he takes off!!” Legend gasps as he motioned towards Wild.

Before Warriors had time to process everything, Wild took off, visibly limping as he stumbled through the water towards the stable.

“Damnit,” Legend growled as he stood up. “Stupid magic teleporting bullshit!”

Warriors helped steady Legend. “Are you ok? You don’t look good.”

Legend waved him off. “I’m not injured if that’s what you're worried about, but that idiot is!” he spat as he pointed towards Wild.

Legend started to run after him, and Warriors made sure to stay close to his side. He wasn’t dumb enough to believe Legend was only suffering from the effects of being transported. 

Like Hyrule, Warriors knew that using magic took a toll on Legend and that bombos spell was powerful.

Warriors knew he was probably suffering the same kind of exhaustion Hyrule was. The only difference was Legend was a stubborn ass and was running purely on spite at this point.

\---------------------------------------

Four, Wind, and Hyrule jumped when Sky and Time barged inside, dragging a very wet and unconscious Twilight.

Four jumped up and moved things out of the way so they could lie Twilight down on one of the beds.

Hyrule went to get up, but Wind pushed him down. “Legend would kill me if I let you try to heal him in your state.” Wind said almost apologetically.

Sky and Four were busy removing all of Twilights gear. “He’s cold,” Four stated, giving a concerned look to Sky and Time. “We have to get him out of these wet clothes.”

Time and Sky quickly sat Twilight up while Four removed his tunic and chainmail.

Time could see where Twilight’s hair was slick with blood. He winced, afraid of how severe the injury was.

They finally got Twilight down to his shorts and covered him in the extra blankets the stablemaster had dropped off while they were gone.

The five of them just stared at Twilight for a moment. He looked deathly pale, which made the blood caked across his head and face stand out even more. His breathing sounded horrible. Each breath was ragged and shallow.

They could also see deep, angry bruises all along the side of his face and head.

Wind knew Twilight had nearly drowned just by listening to him breathe. He had heard similar from people who had near-drowning experiences. Wind knew there was a list of complications that came with near-drownings, none of which were good.

All five jump as Wild stumbled into the inn. He looked around frantically before his eyes landed on Twilight. He stumbled forward and sat on the side of the bed.

Sky gave Time a concerned glance as he gathered bandages from his bag, noting how unfocused Wild’s eyes looked.

Time had noticed it the second he saw Wild on the platform. Still, he also knew that there was no way the kid would allow anyone to treat him while Twilight was in the condition he was in. Once they got Twilight taken care of, Wild would be next.

Time heard a commotion from behind him and saw that Warriors and Legend made it inside.

Legend saw Sky starting to work on Twilight, while Four, Time, and Wild looked on. He also noticed that Wind was trying desperately to keep Hyrule from getting out of bed.

Legend walked up to Hyrule and pushed him back into the bed. Wind and Hyrule looked shocked at the sudden move, but Legend was tired and wasn’t in the mood to argue.

“You don’t have enough magic to help him.” Legend said flatly.

He ignored how defeated Hyrule looked at that moment. He knew the kid just wanted to help, but Legend knew he would pass out before performing any meaningful healing.

Sky went to wrap Twilights' head when something suddenly occurred to him. He nearly dropped the bandages.

His eyes shot up to Hyrule.

“Wild gave you fairies!” he stated, remembering their little excursion to the fairy fountain.

Hyrule’s eyes lit up, and he started scanning for his bag. With everything that has happened, he completely forgot.

Legend saw the bag off to the side and quickly grabbed it. He reached inside and took out one of the glowing bottles.

He walked over to Twilight and released the fairy. The fairy hovered around Twilight’s chest for a moment before slowly drifting towards his head. She hung there for a moment longer, her magic cascading from her as she moved.

Everyone seemed to hold their breath as they watched the little fairy work. They knew she was done when she quickly flew away.

Everyone’s eyes shot back to Twilight, anxiously waiting for some signs of improvement.

Slowly, Twilight’s breathing started to even out, and his color began to improve. Sky noticed that the bruising along his face had faded, and the bleeding from his head lessened significantly.

Sky proceeded to bandage Twilight’s head. He knew the fairy spent most of her powers healing Twi's lungs and severe concussion, leaving the more superficial injuries to heal on their own.

Sky looked down at Twilight after was done wrapping his head, noting how much better he looked. His breathing had evened out almost completely, and his color had improved significantly.

Everyone seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief at that moment: everyone but Wild.

Wild still looked panicked. He was watching Twilight like a hawk. “Why isn’t he waking up?” he asked anxiously.

“He’ll be fine,” Hyrule said wearily. “The fairy healed the most life-threatening injuries; the rest will heal with time and rest.”

“Maybe we should use another fairy…” Wild suggested, not satisfied with Hyrule’s answer.

“He will be fine cub,” Time assured. “He just needs rest now.”

Time could see Wild trembling. “You should probably get changed out of those wet clothes,” he suggested.

Before Wild could respond, Legend approached with a second fairy bottle in his hand.

Wild just stared at him. Maybe he thought Twilight needed a second fairy too.

Legend glared at Wild for a second before grabbing his arm and pulling him up.

Wild instantly began to pull away, but Legend tightened his grip.

“Nope, we had a deal remember. The fight is over, I get to shove a red potion down your throat.”

“Yeah, a red potion, not a damn fairy!” Wild argued as Legend shoved him down into one of the spare beds.

Legend glanced up at Warriors, who was standing next to them. “Make sure he doesn’t try to get up. I’m too damn tired to wrestle with the kid.”

Warriors knew Wild was injured, and he knew Legend was aware of the extend of his injuries. He stepped up next to Wild.

“If we’re not giving Twilight another fairy, there is no way I am letting you waste one on me. My injuries are minor compared to his!” Wild argued, suddenly gaining his second wind.

“Damnit Wild, stop being a pain in the ass! I know you have a nasty gash on your shoulder. I know you smacked your head against the rocks during your little swim in the river. And I  _ know _ you electrocuted yourself when you attacked those lizalfos. Hylia only knows what other injuries you are hiding!”

Legend continued to stare at Wild, exasperated.

Time studied Wild carefully. As the kid’s hair started to dry, he noticed a red tint to parts of it.

“Show us…” Time finally said, drawing a confused look from Wild.

“You said your injuries are minor. Prove it.” Time knew Legend was telling the truth.

Wild wanted nothing more than to disappear at that moment. His eyes darted around to the seven pairs of eyes now trained on him.

He knew there was no talking his way out of this. They were going to overreact. They always did.

With a defeated sigh, Wild reached for his slate and tapped a few buttons. 

In a blue blur, his Zora armor was gone, replaced with a simple pair of brown pants.

Legend’s eyes widened, but he quickly narrowed them again as he stared at Wild dangerously.

“Hylia above Wild…” Sky gasped.

The kid was a mess. There was a nasty, jagged gash on his shoulder. The bleeding wasn’t severe, but the skin around it was angry and red. His ribs and back were covered with dark bruises.

Judging by how the kid was carrying himself, Sky was sure he had broken a few ribs. His body was littered with cuts and smaller bruises. Thin red welts were traveling up the side of his body from below his waist.

Sky assumed that it was a result of being shocked by his own shock arrows.

Legend wasn’t exaggerating.

Satisfied that he made his point, Legend made to open the bottle, but Wild quickly snatched it from his hand.

“You’re not wasting one on me!” Wild shouted again.

Four was convinced that this was going to end in a fight. Legend clearly wasn’t playing around, and he knew Wild wasn’t going to back down.

He dug frantically in his bag, praying that he still had one more bottle.

_There_!

Four pulled out a small bottle. A red potion. His last one.

He darted for Wild, stepping in front of Legend in the process.

“If you won’t accept the fairy, then at least take this,” he said as he pushed the vile into Wild’s hand.

“Look, you might not think it’s a big deal, but we do. What happens if that gets infected?” Four asked as he gestured to Wild’s shoulder. 

“What happens if that concussion you're trying so hard to ignore finally overtakes you?”

Wild just stared dumbly at the potion. He wanted so badly to suggest that Twilight take it, but he was pretty sure Legend would knock him out and make good on his promise to force it down his throat.

He was also sure that the concussion Four pointed out was worse than he was willing to admit, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew it was foolish to refuse the potion.

He sighed as he opened the bottle and quickly downed the potion.

He started to feel the effects almost immediately. The crashing headache he had fought so hard to ignored slowly dissipated into more of an annoying throb. 

He found he could take a full breath without his ribs screaming in protest. The smaller cuts had healed, and the large gash on his shoulder had healed somewhat.

He didn’t even protest when Sky appeared next to him to wrap his head and shoulder.

Legend only stepped away when he saw Sky dressing Wild’s injuries. He ran a hand through his hair as he thought back on how crazy the last few days had been.

He didn’t even notice Warriors was standing next to him until the man spoke.

“The next place you storm off too better be a bed unless you want me to cause the same scene you did for Wild,” Warriors whispered.

Legend glared at him, debating if Warriors was bluffing.

“What? You think I ignore you when you talk? You’ve told me about that bombos spell before. How it drains nearly all your energy when you use it. That fight was long enough, then you use that spell, and almost immediately go charging off after those two.” Warriors gave a quick nod towards Twilight and Wild.

Legend continued to glare, unwilling to admit he was too damn tired to argue. 

Warriors laughed. “You know, for someone who just got done yelling at Wild for being stubborn, you’re not any better. The fact you are still able to stand proves how deep your stubbornness runs. Now go lie down before I pick you up and toss you into one of the beds.”

Legend wanted to challenge Warriors, especially for that “toss you into a bed” threat. Still, he already felt the adrenaline from the day starting to wear off, and he knew if he wasn’t lying down soon, his body would simply shut down for him.

He mumbled some weak insult at Warriors before he went to grab his sleeping roll.

Time watched as everyone began to wind down from the day. 

Sky had finished bandaging Wild and started to lay his bedroll out. Hyrule had fallen asleep the minute he was convinced Wild would allow them to treat his injuries. 

Wind had fallen asleep next to Hyrule. Four was currently spreading out his bedroll next to Hyrule’s bed. Legend had propped himself up on the other side of Hyrule’s bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

Time caught Sky’s attention and motioned to one of the empty beds. Sky gave him a look, clearly thinking Time and Wild should take the last two beds, but Time just nodded at the bed again with a look that left no room for debate.

Sky was too emotionally drained to argue. He looked over at Twilight one last time, the moment he got knocked into the river still running through his head. He knew Twilight would recover, but he wasn’t sure if he would ever fully forgive himself for almost getting him killed.

He noticed Time was still staring at him. Sky nodded reluctantly and made his way to one of the beds. Twilight would be ok. He fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Warriors was one of the last to fall asleep. He couldn’t quite shake the old habits of being a captain, and one of those was being one of the last to fall asleep.

He had been standing with Time, watching as the others slowly nodded off.

Wild didn’t look like he would be falling asleep anytime soon.

“The kid really needs to get some rest,” Warriors whispered as he watched Wild sit next to Twilight anxiously.

“I doubt any of us can make him.” Time replied. “Unless Twilight wakes up, I doubt the kid will let himself sleep.”

Warriors could only sigh in response.

“Get some sleep, captain, I’ll keep an eye on him.” Time said.

Warriors gave Time a sideways glance. “You should be the one to get some sleep. You took some nasty hits today.”

Time just hummed in response but didn’t move. Warriors knew that Time, like Wild, wouldn’t fall asleep until he knew for sure that Twilight was going to be alright.

Warriors wasn’t sure how, but he knew Time, Twilight, and Wild shared some sort of bond that was different from the others. Hyrule and Legend had a similar bond, but it wasn’t quite the same.

Warriors had his suspicions, but he kept them to himself. He knew it was pointless to try to convince them to go to bed.

“Try not to stay up all night,” Warriors said as he made his way to his sleeping roll. He laid it out next to Sky’s bed, and after a few minutes, he had drifted off to sleep.

Time watched as they all slept, grateful that they all made it through the day. 

He tried to hide it, but he had been terrified once he realized something happened to Twilight. Moments of panic had seeped through his usually controlled demeanor. 

Legend had been front and center for one of those moments. He was sure Warriors and Sky saw it when he was kneeling over the shrine's platform, temporarily frozen by fear.

He imagined Wild felt just as terrified when he saw Twilight get knocked into the river. It was the same fear that kept Wild from falling asleep.

He slowly made his way over to Wild, standing behind the kid as he continued to watch Twilight, his body still tense.

Time put a hand on Wild’s shoulder. “He looks a lot better now. I bet he will wake up by morning.”

Wild said nothing. He continued to watch Twilight, almost as if he believed if he took his eyes off him, he would disappear.

Wild moves his hands up, and Time quickly realizes what Wild is doing.

“ _ I was afraid I wouldn’t find him in time _ ,” Wild signed.

Time watched and quickly realized that it had been over a month since Wild had used sign to communicate. This really had the kid rattled.

“ _ When I found him, I couldn’t get us back to the shore. The rapids were too strong. I thought we were going to die… _ ”

Wild let his hands drop slightly, and Time felt his chest tighten.

“ _ At that moment, I couldn’t help it…I thought back to when I died the first time…how I died knowing I had failed to save my friends. I thought, maybe I was doomed to repeat the same horrible fate, that I would die, again, knowing that I couldn’t save Twilight. Had it not been for Legend, we would have died. _

Time grabbed Wild’s hands. He knew it was going to take Wild time to get over the emotional scars of his past. Maybe he would never fully get over them.

“You didn’t fail, not then and not now. Back then, you were alone. You had no one to help you when you needed it most. You cannot expect to save the world on your own. But now, you’re not alone. You have us, and I am so grateful that you were not alone this time. You had someone to help you. Had it not been for you and Legend, Twilight wouldn’t be here.”

Wild didn’t say anything. Time didn’t expect him to.

A tired groan snapped both of them out of their thoughts. Both looked down at Twilight as he started to stir.

Twilight slowly pried open his eyes. His vision was blurry, but he could barely make out a figure hovering over him, long blond hair framing the figure’s face.

“…cub?” Twilight rasped, surprised at how bad he sounded. He went to sit up, but his vision suddenly swam, and he felt a sudden and painful pounding behind his eyes. 

He let out a painful groan as he brought his hand up and pushed it against his head, trying to will the pain and dizziness to go away. He noticed the bandage wrapped around his head.

“…wha-what happened?” Twilight asked, his words slightly slurred.

“Your head got in the way of a Moblin club.” Time huffed. “Knocked you right into the river.”

Wild watched as Twilight tried to recall what happened, but it was clear he was still suffering from the effects of his concussion.

Time watched Wild grab his slate, and after a few taps, one of Wild’s homemade red potions appeared.

Time shot Wild a surprised look before narrowing his eye at him, unsure whether to be angry at the kid for not using it on himself earlier.

“When were you going to tell us you had red potions?” he asked.

Wild opened it and started giving it to Twilight. “It was my last one. I knew Twilight would need one when he woke up, and I knew you would try to make me take it if I told you I had it.”

Time just sighed and rubbed his head with his hand. He should just be grateful Four had an extra.

“Wait...why would the old man make you take it? Twilight asked as he felt the potion start to take effect. “…and why are you covered in bandages?”

Time scoffed humorously as he watched Wild tried to change the subject.

He leaned back, angling his head so the person who had been watching them could hear.

“I never properly thanked you for bringing them back,” Time said quietly.

Legend didn’t respond at first. He had woken up halfway through Time and Wild’s conversation.

He watched Wild and Twilight for a moment, and he suddenly realized just how close they had been to the night ending tragically.

He noticed Time glancing down at him.

Legend shrugged.

“I had a promise to keep.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am debating whether or not to continue this fic or if I should end it here and start part 2 of this series? The next part will have the Links meeting Zelda and discussing all the sudden changes that are happening (infected monsters, malice, other hints towards ganon shenanigans). I can easily just double the length of this current fic or start fresh with a new one. My upload schedule would remain the same. Just not sure how to organize it.


	13. R&R

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The groups down time before they set off to their next destination. More of a filler chapter than anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Did some editing to this chapter so it should read better (9/3/2020)***.  
> This chapter took me longer than expected to get out. We had a death in the family and I ended up calling 911 for my mom because we thought she had a blood clot in her lung (terrible, sudden onset of pain). Turned out she had the beginning stages of pneumonia. They did a covid text but the doctor said he was pretty sure she didn't have it.  
> Anyway, long story short, this last week has been chaotic. I wrote when I needed time to escape, but I don't guarantee what I wrote will be all that good.  
> I know a few people have expressed they have issues with my story, but honestly this is all just head-canon for me. I know my style of writing and/or my choice of storytelling wont be for everyone, but I have enjoyed writing this fic and I hope the majority of you enjoy it too.

Most of the heroes didn’t wake up until late morning. Time had already decided that the group would stay at the stables for another night so that everyone had a chance to fully heal and get the rest they needed.

Time was able to get a couple hours of sleep, but only because Four woke up during the night and insisted he get some rest.

Four was not happy to see Time wake up just a few hours later.

“You should still be sleeping,” he chastised as Time made his way over to him.

Time just shrugged. “Can’t help it… always been an early riser.”

Four gave him a disapproving look before turning his attention back to where the others were sleeping.

“He fell asleep shortly after you did.” Four said as he gestured towards Wild. The blond was sleeping, propped up against the bed Twilight was sleeping in.

“Good, he needs the rest.” Time replied. “Though, I’d rather he slept in one of the beds.”

Four scoffed. “Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. You know there was no way he was leaving Twi’s side.”

“True.” Time replied. “I should be thankful he slept at all.”

By late morning everyone, minus Twilight and Hyrule, was starting to rise.

Legend, Wild, and Sky looked like they needed more sleep, but Time didn’t say anything. They wouldn’t be traveling that day, so Time knew they had time to relax and regain their energy.

Wild decided to go hunting and gather food for the second part of the journey.

He was content with Twilight’s condition. Once he was able to give his mentor his healing potion, he knew he would be ok.

Wild could tell Wind was starting to get antsy, so he decided to take the younger hero.

Warriors caught Sky sitting outside under one of the trees near the stable, looking lost in thought.

“Were you able to get some sleep?” Warriors asked as he sat next to the Skyloftian.

Sky simply nodded, “Some.”

“You feeling better this morning?” Warriors asked.

“I guess.” Sky sighed. “If anything, I’m feeling a little ashamed over how I acted yesterday.”

“Ashamed of what?” Warriors queried.

“Just…how I responded to everything yesterday. For freezing up during the fight, for snapping at you after…” Sky paused for a moment, keeping his gaze up towards the clouds.

“I’ve always able to stay composed during stressful situations. It didn’t matter what was thrown at me, I’ve always been able to stay calm and keep a clear head. I’m not proud of how I handled myself yesterday…”

“You're way too hard on yourself,” Warriors began. “Look, this…whatever _this_ is, isn’t like the adventures we’ve had in the past. We still don’t know what we are looking for, short of ‘figure out why the monsters of all our Hyrules are becoming infected.’ We keep getting dragged through these crazy portals into different eras with no warning, _and_ we are doing so with 8 other incarnations of ourselves.”

Sky dropped his gaze to watch Warriors as he spoke.

“There’s more on the line here than simply saving our own Hyrules” Warrior’s continued. “This threat somehow stretches throughout time itself, and what makes it worse is that we’ve been forced to meet the heroes from those times, team up with them and fight alongside them. That alone makes the stakes higher.”

“It’s like fighting alongside your brothers” Sky added

“Exactly!” Warriors confirmed. “So, not only are we responsible for saving our own Hyrules, we are essentially responsible for saving our brother’s Hyrule’s as well.”

Sky nodded. The addition of the other Link’s had put a level of urgency on this journey that Sky was not accustomed to.

Obviously, helping create the Master Sword and defeating Demise was urgent, but being confronted with the literal incarnations of yourself and forced to fight alongside them to help save their own kingdoms added eight extra layers of urgency to an already complicated situation.

“I can’t begin to imagine how you’ve been feeling throughout this mess of a journey.” Warriors added. “I know how crazy it feels to meet the Links that exist after me, but we all exist after you. I know that knowledge has to affect you emotionally, I don’t care how unshakable you were in the past.”

Sky gave a light scoff and smirked slightly, realizing that everything Warriors had said was one hundred percent true.

“You’re right….” Sky began. “When Twilight got injured, it wasn’t the same as seeing a comrade get injured.” 

Sky didn’t have siblings or children, but he imagined that the feeling he had when he saw Twi get hurt would be the same as if his own flesh and blood had been injured.

Not just that, but he feared Twilight had died, and that realization had crushed him.

“It was so much worse…” he continued. “Like a part of my soul had shattered. It wasn’t just that he had been hurt…I thought he was dead….”

“Exactly, so stop beating yourself up. This doesn’t change how we see you, Sky. Hell, Time froze for a moment during that fight. Thank the goddesses Legend saw, otherwise that would have ended badly. Do you see Time as less of a leader because he froze?”

“Of course not…” Sky admitted.

“Good! Glad we are on the same page!” Warriors declared as he slapped the other on the back.

Sky looked over at Warriors. “Thank you for getting me to snap out of that… funk I was in.”

Warriors just smiled. “Hey, you have done the same for everyone in this rag-tag group. I am just happy I was finally able to return the favor.”

________________________________________________________

When it was clear that neither Twilight nor Hyrule would be waking up anytime soon, Time gestured for Legend to follow him outside. Four had already agreed to stay in and watch the two in case either decided to wake up.

The two sat on one of the logs that surrounded the firepit. Time could see Warriors and Sky off in the distance. Sky seemed better that morning, so hopefully, whatever the two were discussing, it was going better than it had the night before.

“How are you feeling?” Time finally asked.

“Fine,” Legend answered predictably. “Nothing a little bit of rest can’t fix.”

Time nodded. Legend wasn’t that much better than Wild when it came to admitting he was hurt, but it seemed Legend wasn’t downplaying anything this time.

“We haven’t had time to talk since you returned with Wild and Twi. I was hoping you could tell me what happened when you found them. Wild looked really shaken last night, and I don’t have the heart to ask him what happened.”

Legend sighed. “I know I gave the kid shit last night, but I understand why he was acting the way he was.”

Legend looked over to Time. “I almost didn’t get to them in time. When I found them, they were pushed up against some rocks in the rapids. Wild was trying to hang onto Twilight while gripping on the rocks, so they didn’t get tossed further down the river. I could see Wild was exhausted…he was barely able to keep his head above the water. I don’t think he would have been able to hang on if I had shown up a minute later.”

Time glanced down towards the ground. Wild had said that he thought they were going to die. Apparently, his fears were justified.

“I used my hook shot, and, by some miracle, the kid was able to grab onto it and not lose his grip on Twilight while I pulled them in. When he got close, I ran out and helped him carry Twilight onto the shore. That’s when I noticed Twilight wasn’t breathing…”

Time’s head shot up, clearly shocked by that revelation. 

Legend’s eyes flicked up towards Time before settling back to the ground in front of him.

“Yeah…it was like that,” Legend deadpanned.

“H-How…I mean…he…he was breathing when you guys teleported back…” Time stammered.

Legend stared out into the distance. “Someone taught me a technique that could get someone breathing again after a near-drowning. They lived on an island, so they had to know the skill in case they didn’t have a fairy on hand.”

He paused before looking back to Time. “It doesn’t always work, and for a moment I thought I was too late. I think Wild sensed it too. I couldn’t see him, but I could feel the fear radiating from him.”

Legend paused for a second. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was just as terrified as Wild at that moment. He mentally shook away the thought.

“Thankfully, Twilight is too damn stubborn to die.” Legend scoffed. “He had barely started breathing on his own before a bunch of wolves came out from the forest. That’s when Wild used his slate and teleported us here.”

Time ran his hands through his hair, trying to process everything. This explained why Wild seemed incapable of calming down, even after they knew Twilight would be ok.

It wasn’t just that he thought they were going to die; he thought Twilight had died. The idea alone was extremely upsetting to Time, but Wild actually saw Twilight lying there, not breathing. 

“I almost didn’t let you go.” Time admitted, thinking back to when Legend insisted he be the one to go after the two.

Legend laughed. “I’m surprised you let me go. You know you can be a scary bastard when you want to be. I thought for sure you were going to knock me out.”

Time winced slightly. “Honestly, I considered it. Sorry about that.”

Legend just waved him off. “Trust me, you’re not the only one who has entertained _that_ idea. I would be rupees I don’t have that Warriors think about it weekly.”

That got Time to laugh.

“You know, you make a damn good leader considering you are so opposed to seeing yourself as one.”

Legend seemed to bristle at the comment. “Trust me, I’m no leader. I clearly lack the temperament and mouth filter needed, if last night is anything to go by.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Time countered. “Sometimes, people need some tough love.”

“I think knocking someone out just so you can heal them is a little more than ‘tough love,” Legend pointed out.

Time just shrugged. “I don’t think I would have stopped you.”

“Clearly,” Legend scoffed.

“To be fair, Wild has come a long way since he joined us.” Time defended. “We need to remember he only recently defeated Ganon. He really hasn’t had time to adjust to any sort of ‘normal life.’”

“Have any of us really had time to adjust to anything resembling a normal life?” Legend questioned.

Time raised his eyebrows, “You know what I mean.”

Legend just shrugged. He knew what Time was getting at. Amnesia, being resurrected, being forced into a solo journey to defeat Ganon, all of it affected Wild’s personality the same as everyone else’s journeys affected them individually.

Wild’s journey was more akin to what Hyrule had experienced, which was probably why the two shared many similar personality traits. Of course, Hyrule wasn’t quite the obnoxious gremlin Wild was.

“Speaking of gremlins…” Legend said to himself as he heard the voices of Wild and Wind approaching.

“Did you boys get what we needed?” Time asked.

“Yep! We are good to go.” Wild answered cheerfully.

________________________________________________________

Twilight felt himself slowly emerge from his state of…sleep...unconsciousness…he wasn’t exactly sure.

The first thing he was aware of was that he was lying on something soft, much softer than his bedroll. They must have found an inn at some point during the night.

The second thing he was aware of was the dull ache in his chest when he attempted to take in a deep breath. He thought he had been rammed in the chest by one of Fado’s goats for a second.

Twilight let out a soft groan as the ache started to worsen.

“Hey, you’re finally awake.” someone said quietly.

Twilight opened his eyes but immediately shut them against the brightness of the day.

He could feel a shadow suddenly cast over him, allowing him to try to open his eyes once more.

Once the blurriness faded, Twilight saw Four standing in front of him with a look that he could only describe as relief.

As his eyes adjusted to the light, he became aware of another dull ache, this time behind his eyes. He squinted and brought his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“How are you feeling?” Four asked, not being able to hide his concern.

Twilight thought for a moment. “Better…I think?” _Gods, his voice sounded horrible_.

His hand moved up to his head as he mindlessly rubbed at the bandage still wrapped around it.

Four could see that Twilight was trying to piece together the events of the last 24 hours.

“How much do you remember?” Four decided to ask.

Twilight thought for a moment.

“I…I remember the fight…” he began, still shocked at how raspy his voice sounded.

“…It rained…we were outnumbered, but…”

Twilight suddenly remembered the red shield that had protected them from the onslaught of bokoblins. He shot up and instantly regretted it as his vision swam.

“Whoa, careful!” Four gasped as he quickly grabbed Twilight’s shoulders, keeping him steady as he swayed from where he was sitting.

“Where’s Hyrule?!” Twilight rasped; his eyes screwed shut as he fought off the dizziness.

“He’s fine, Twilight.” Four insisted. “He’s here, in the bed next to you.”

Twilight cracked his eyes open and looked towards the direction Four had gestured to.

There was Hyrule, in the bed next to him, unmoving. Twilight felt a sense of dread wash over him.

“How is he?” Twilight asked.

“He’s fine.” Four maintained. “Really. He’s just sleeping. He exhausted himself from using so much of his magic. Both he and Legend insist that the best thing for him was rest so he can recover his energy.”

Twilight visibly relaxed. Four helped rearrange his pillows so he could sit up comfortably.

The innkeeper appeared at Four’s side with a glass of water. Four thanked him before turning and offering it to Twilight.

“What else do you remember?” Four continued as he handed him the glass of water.

“I remember fighting the moblin again,” Twilight said, his voice sounding slightly better after taking a few sips from his water.

“I remember being on the bridge…with you?” He looked confused, and Four could tell his memory was still pretty sketchy.

“Yes, you and I ended up being pushed up on to the bridge. I was trying to keep the bokoblins off you while you fought the moblin.” Four confirmed.

Twilight took another sip of his water as he tried to remember what happened next.

“I remember Sky…like he had appeared out of thin air…” Twilight continued.

Four nodded.

Twilight struggled to remember the rest. His memory was still disjointed and foggy, and it was beginning to frustrate him.

“Something happened…I don’t remember what. I remember thinking I didn’t have time…what didn’t I have time for…”

Four watched as Twilight struggled to fill in the missing pieces. He was about to tell him the rest when Twilight’s eyes went wide.

“It was Sky…Sky was in danger. I remember thinking I didn’t have time to save him…”

Twilight’s eyes started to dart around the inn, and Four knew who he was looking for.

“Sky’s fine too.” He said as he placed his hand on Twilight’s shoulder to relax him.

“That moblin was going to attack him. I remember thinking Sky wouldn’t be able to avoid it…that I had to get to him…”

Twilight squeezed his eyes shut again, rested his hand against his head as he struggled to remember how the events played out.

“You got to Sky in time.” Four added, deciding he probably should help Twilight fill in the missing pieces.

“I didn’t see exactly what happened, but Sky fell, and you were able to pull him back before the moblin he was fighting attacked him.”

Four paused before looking Twilight in the eyes. “You, however, didn’t have time to get out of the way of the attack. The moblin struck you on the head and sent you flying into the river.”

Twilight felt his hand reach up and rub at his bandage again. That would explain why his head hurt and why his thoughts were so fuzzy.

“Is there anything else past that moment that you remember?” Four asked, sensing that this was probably the last memory his mind would be able to recall.

“I remember this inn…it was night, I think. I remember seeing the old man…maybe Wild too? I think he gave me a red potion…”

Four’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t remember that happening. Maybe that happened when I was asleep.”

Twilight’s mind was suddenly hung up on Wild. He was sure he remembered talking to Wild during the night. Something was eating at him, something about the cub’s appearance that bothered him.

“Where’s Wild?” Twilight asked a minute later. Four could hear the concern in his voice. That could only mean that he probably did wake up at some point during the night and saw the state Wild was in.

“He went off hunting with Wind. They should be back soon.” Four answered. He knew there were going to be follow-up questions.

Twilight looked at Four. “You said I was knocked into the river. How did I manage to get here?”

Four remember that part vividly. It was hard to forget the way Wild yelled Twilight’s name seconds before jumping off the bridge himself. Four also knew there was no point in hiding anything from Twilight. He was probably close to figuring it all out anyway.

“Wild jumped in after you.” Four said plainly. “I don’t know when he got to the bridge, but it had to be around the same time you were knocked into the river because he jumped in a few seconds later.”

“He had bandages wrapped around his head and shoulder…I saw them when I woke up the first time…” Four could hear the worry and anxiety start to creep into Twilight’s words as he tried to remember.

“Yes, he was injured.” Four confirmed. “I think he got most of them from the initial fight. But he’s ok. I personally made him drink a red potion when he got back.” 

“How did he get me back?” Twilight asked.

“Honestly, I don’t know. Wild immediately jumped in after you. Once we finished the remaining enemies, Legend went looking for the two of you. I was sitting in here with Hyrule when Sky and Time barged in, carrying you.”

Twilight was pretty sure he was still suffering the effects of his concussion because he could have sworn he saw Four’s eyes flash red before settling back to their normal grey-blue.

“You looked horrible.” Four continued. “The injury to your head was severe, you were cold and deathly pale, and your breathing…it sounded terrible. It was ragged, wet, shallow. Honestly, your breathing terrified me most of all.”

Twilight held his chest. That was probably why his chest hurt. Going off what Four had just said, he probably came close to drowning, and the pain in his chest was the result of the water his lungs took in.

“I’m just grateful Wild and Sky collected those fairies when we first got here.” Four finished.

“Twilight!!!” someone shouted, causing Twilight and Four to jump and look towards the inn entrance.

Wind had walked in and was clearly excited to see Twilight awake. He ran towards him.

Wild stepped inside just as Wind took off towards Twilight’s bed.

His eyes locked with Twilight’s, relief flooding over him. He smiled as he watched Wind bound over to Twilight’s beside.

“Thank the goddesses you’re awake!!” Wind all but shouted. “How are you feeling? You look a lot better!”

Twilight placed his hand on top of Wind’s head. “I’m feeling much better.”

Wild was at his side in an instant, his eyes still held a hit of anxiety as he studied Twilight.

Twilight couldn’t hide the small wince when he tried to sit up further, his dizziness still an issue.

Wild had his slate out in a flash, a red potion quickly appeared in his hand.

Four eyes him suspiciously.

“I made it while we were hunting. Wild said innocently. “I knew he would need another one when he woke up.”

He opened it and handed it to Twilight, who took it without protest.

The potion took effect almost immediately. The dizziness disappeared, and the dull pain in his chest and head lessened to the point where he could easily ignore it.

He took a moment to study Wild. He still had a bandage wrapped around his head, but now he could see the red stain that had seeped through on the back of his head.

He was wearing his regular Hylian clothes with his blue tunic over it, so Twilight couldn’t see the other injuries he had noticed the night before.

He could also see how tired the kid looked. Despite his energetic facade, Twilight could see the exhaustion in his usually bright blue eyes.

According to Four, they had used a fairy and two red potions to heal him. Normally a fairy would do the trick, so he was confident the injuries he received were severe.

Wild had been there when it happened and was the one to jump in after him. Twilight was sure that rattled Wild badly, and that didn't include the injuries the cub had and the fact he probably didn’t sleep well the last two nights.

Twilight flung the blanket off him, thankful to see that he was dressed in a standard cream-colored shirt and brown pants. He swung his legs around, so they were planted on the ground.

Immediately Four, Wind, and Wild protested, but Twilight waved them off. Judging by the light of the day, it was probably afternoon, which meant he had slept for nearly a whole day.

Wild stepped in front of him, looking like he was about to shove his mentor back into the bed forcibly.

“Calm down. That red potion of yours took care of any lingering injuries I still had. I don’t know what you use to make them, but they are effective.”

Wild went to protest, but Twilight cut him off.

“Walk with me. I need to get some fresh air.”

Despite Wild’s inner protest, he watched as Twilight stood and was moderately satisfied when his mentor didn’t sway on his feet.

Twilight turned back to Four and Wind. “Let us know when Hyrule wakes up,” he said before he disappeared outside with Wild.

Twilight took a deep breath and was happy when his lungs didn’t protest. The fresh air felt fantastic.

The two walked behind the stable near where their horses were being kept. Twilight leaned against the building and allowed himself to slide down, so he was sitting in the grass.

Wild followed suite, keeping a close eye on Twilight. He wasn’t entirely convinced he was fully recovered.

Twilight could see the concern in Wild’s eyes.

“You doing alright?” Twilight asked. He didn’t miss the exasperated look Wild gave him.

“I should be the one asking if you’re doing alright,” Wild countered.

“I am now,” Twilight answered. “And I hear I have you to thank for that.”

Wild’s gaze suddenly shot down to the grass. “You need to thank Legend for that; he was the one who saved us.”

“Us?” Twilight queried.

“Yeah, us,” Wild echoed. “I wasn’t able to get back to shore once I found you. By some miracle, Legend found us and used his hook shot to pull us onto the shore.”

“From what Four tells me, you were the one that jumped in after me. Had you not done that, I probably would have drowned.”

“…you nearly did…” Wild faltered. “When we got you to the shore…you weren’t breathing. I didn’t know what to do. I thought you were dead.”

Wild’s voice cracked a bit as he tried to steady his emotions. “Legend was trying to get you to breathe again, but it wasn’t working. I thought…I thought I didn’t get to you in time.”

Twilight placed his hand on Wild’s shoulder. “Obviously, you did, or I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you.”

Wild didn’t shrug his mentor's hand off, but he kept his gaze fixed on the grass, afraid that if he looked Twilight in the eyes, the dams holding back his emotions would break.

“I know how scary it is when you think someone you care about is going to die, but don’t think for one second, your actions didn’t save me. I don’t know what happened, but I highly doubt Legend would have been able to find me had you not gotten to me first.”

Wild sighed. Twilight took that as a silent victory.

“I would like to know how you got that?” Twilight said, pointing his finger at the bandage wrapped around Wild’s head.

Wild rubbed at it mindlessly. “Hit my head on one of the rocks in the river.”

Twilight’s eyebrow raised. “Before or after you found me?”

Wild didn’t answer. He didn’t want Twilight to feel responsible for it.

Twilight didn’t need an answer. He knew the cub used his own body to protect his, shielding him from the barrage of rocks and debris in the river.

He wanted to lecture the kid, tell him that it was reckless, but the only reason he knew Wild did it was that, if the roles were reversed, he would have done the exact same thing.

Instead, he placed his hand on Wild’s head and ruffled his hair slightly, drawing an annoyed glance from his protégé. Twilight just smirked.

“Thank you for saving my life,” he said. He saw the small smile on Wild’s face as the kid looked back towards the grass.

“You’ve saved my life in more ways than you can imagine. It was the least I could do.”

Twilight grips Wild’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze before letting go. He didn’t miss the slight flinch and screwed expression Wild let slide before steading his face again.

Twilight pulls his hand back, suddenly aware that Wild had a shoulder injury.

“Sorry! Wait…how did you get that gash on your shoulder?” he questioned.

Wild waved it off. “One of those damned Lizalfos caught me off guard.’

Twilight raised his eyebrow again. “So, you got that _before_ you went after me?”

Wild nodded.

Twilight ran his hand through his hair, clearly exasperated. “And you wonder why you had a hard time getting me to the shore. That wound looked angry even after it was wrapped up, and I was pretty out of it to really take notice.”

Wild didn’t say anything. Twilight just sighed.

“You promised me you were going to work on not being so hard on yourself, remember? This is one of those times. You did good cub.”

Just then, Time and Legend made their way around the building, looking as if they were going to check on the horses.

Time and Legend looked down and saw Twilight and Wild sitting against the outer wall of the inn.

“And just what in the goddess’s names are you doing out of bed?” Legend huffed, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to use the usually snarky tone he was known for.

Twilight smirked. “Don’t worry, Wild gave me one of his red potions. I’m probably in better shape than he is.” He elbowed Wild slightly.

Legend scoffed. “Probably.”

“Hey!” Wild protested.

Time watched the exchange and simply smiled.

“You sure you’re feeling ok, pup?” Time interrupted.

Twilight didn’t miss the glint of concern in his eye. Time was probably just as worried as Wild was. He was simply better at controlling it.

“Yeah, I’m good,” Twilight answered.

Twilight went to stand when a hand suddenly appeared in front of him. He looked up and saw Legend starting down at him with a look that told Twilight that it wouldn’t be smart to turn down his help.

Twilight grasped his arm and allowed Legend to pull him up. Twilight knew Legend was trying to see if he was telling the truth about being ok. He thought back to what Wild said, that Legend had been the one to get him to breathe again.

For as much as Legend tried to hide it, the guy was fiercely protective over the group. Twilight imagined this experience was just as nerve-racking for the vet as it was for Wild and Time. Sure, the others were just as worried, but it’s different when you are the one there.

As the four made their way back into the inn, Twilight placed his hand on Legend’s shoulder to get his attention.

Legend looked up at the taller hero, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“Thanks for saving me and the cub.” He said just loud enough so only Legend could hear.

Legend shook Twilight’s hand off his shoulder. “I just got you both to the shore. That gremlin of yours is the reason you’re still here.” Legend tried to sound snarky and uninterested, but he was failing miserably.

“From what I heard, you did more than that. Protest all you want, but I owe you big time, not just for saving my life but also for saving Wild’s. I don’t know how I can possibly repay you for it.”

“How about you try not to get yourself killed, and you convince your protégé to stop ignoring his injuries, and we’ll call it even.” Legend answered.

Twilight just laughed. “Not sure that’s a promise I can make in our line of work, but I’ll certainly try. As for Wild…I’m not sure he will fully shake off that part of his personality. It’s easy to just chuck it up to him being alone and needing to push through his injuries when he was on his quest to defeat Ganon, but I think it goes deeper than that. I think it stems back to the first Calamity. He said he was a knight. Knowing how important his role was going to be in the kingdom’s fight against Ganon, I wonder if he was trained to ignore his injuries.”

That didn’t sit well with Legend. “You think they conditioned him to ignore when he got hurt? I don’t even want to think about how you would go about conditioning someone to ignore their injuries the way Wild does.”

Twilight didn’t like the idea, either. He was hoping he was wrong, but the behavior seemed so ingrained in his DNA, Twilight had a hard time convincing himself Wild wasn’t taught that at a young age.

______________________________________________________________________

When the four walked into the inn, they found a very awake Hyrule. Legend fussed over him for a few minutes, but it was clear Hyrule was fine, if not still a little tired. By evening time, everyone was spread out around the stable, immersed in conversation.

Wild decided to whip up one of his unique recipes. He took out the bass he caught earlier in the day and cooked it over the fire with the carrots and mushrooms Wind helped gather.

This was a recipe he would use when he needed a pick-me-up. The ingredients had restorative abilities, something he knew they could all benefit from.

Dinner was a hit, which came as no surprise to Legend. He had secretly thanked Hylia when he found out the kid could cook. Honestly, it was a surprise that any of them survived as long as they did considering they could barely scrape together anything that resembled a meal.

As Legend ate, he could feel his energy slowly being restored. He knew the ingredients in Wild’s Hyrule held specific ability-boosting properties, like increasing one’s speed or stamina.

He had a sneaky suspicion the meal they were eating was explicitly made with ingredients designed to replenish their stamina.

He had to give the kid credit; he knew how to help everyone without giving the impression he was doing so.

Legend knew they were all as bad as Wild was when it came to being upfront with how they felt. Wild knew there was no point asking everyone. He already knew what most of them were suffering from.

Once dinner was finished, everyone started to turn in for the night. Wild warned them the next leg of the journey would be a long one, so most of the heroes opted to go to bed early.

Legend found himself leaning up against one of the stalls in the stable. He positioned himself so he could watch Wild as he created all sorts of potions, no doubt wanting to make sure they had some on hand just in case.

Time joined him a short time later. “What’s he making?” Time asked as he nodded towards Wild.

“He made a bunch of red potions, but I think he is trying to make a green potion now.” Legend guessed.

Time hummed as he settled against the same stall Legend was leaning against.

“I know we haven’t been to his Hyrule a lot, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen him with green potions, so I’m not sure if they exist in this time.” Legend theorized.

“He’s a smart kid. After yesterday I’m sure he will figure out a way to make something similar for you and Hyrule.” Time suggested.

“I still can’t believe he knows how to make potions,” Legend added. “That would have been a useful skill to have on my journeys.”

Time simply nodded in agreement.

“Who are you two spying on?” someone from behind inquired.

“The cub,” Time replied.

Twilight appeared next to them as he glanced out into the distance.

“Why don’t you two turn in for the night? I’ll make sure he gets to bed at a decent time.”

Twilight could tell Time and Legend wanted to protest. “I’ve slept long enough today…”

“Being unconscious doesn’t count as sleep,” Legend quipped, but Twilight just rolled his eyes.

“Either way, I’m not tired, and I can tell the two of you are. I’ll drag him back to the inn if he isn’t done in a few hours. Go get some rest.”

Legend could tell Time wasn’t going to argue.

“Suit yourself,” Legend shrugged as he pushed himself up and off the stall.

Honestly, Twilight was probably right, at least when it came to him and Time needing rest. He knew the old man barely got any sleep the night before, and admittedly he didn’t fare much better.

Besides, Twilight was too protective of Wild to let the kid pull a second all-nighter.

________________________________________________________

Everyone woke up the following morning feeling refreshed.

They had made quick work of packing their things up and getting their horses ready.

Wild thanked the stable master/innkeeper for his hospitality and tried to pay the man in rupees, but the man refused to take it. He kept insisting he wouldn’t take money from the champion of Hyrule.

Wild finally relented and thanked the man for his generosity. As he returned to the group, he saw Twilight staring at Epona.

“Wanna take her?” Wild offered.

Twilight didn’t realize he had been daydreaming until Wild appeared next to him.

“What? No, that’s ok.” He stammered.

Wild sighed. “Go on. I know you want to. Maybe you’ll be able to see if there’s any difference between your Epona and mine.”

The offer was too good for Twilight to pass up, and he found himself packing his gear onto Epona. He didn’t miss the way Epona’s ear flickered in recognition of him. Twilight still wasn’t sure how that was possible.

Right as they were finishing packing, Wild stepped out to address the group.

“I’ve got something for you all.” He said as he started tapping on his slate.

Suddenly 8 red potions and 8 stamina potions appeared on the ground in front of him.

“There is a health potion and stamina potion for each of you,” Wild continued. “Keep it somewhere that you can easily access them.”

Wild then turned to Hyrule and Legend. A few more taps and three green-colored potions appeared in his hands. He gave two to Hyrule and one to Legend. Both just stared at them in shock.

“These are for you two. I don’t think these will work as well as your green potions, but they should offer some magical restorative effects.”

Legend knew Wild was trying to make them the night before, but he didn’t realize he would be successful.

“How were you able to make these?” Hyrule finally asked. He remembered Wild not recognizing the green potion when they were in his Hyrule, so he knew that green potions weren’t a thing in Wild’s era.

“I asked one of the merchants in Legend’s Hyrule what went into them. He wasn’t exactly forthcoming with the information, but I was eventually able to get him to talk. I’ve been trying to make them for a while. I was finally able to figure out which combination of ingredients I needed to make something comparable last night. I only had enough ingredients to make three, and seeing Hyrule uses his magic more, I figured he could take two now. I could search for more ingredients tonight and make a second one for you,” Wild finished as he looked at Legend.

Legend was still shocked that the kid was able to recreate a green potion. Even more shocked that the kid had been trying to make them before the night before.

“Don’t worry about making another one, this is more than enough.” Legend finally said. “I can’t believe you actually figured out how to make them…”

Wild just smiled. “It’s the least I could do…” he said. … _for saving our lives_ , leaving the last part of his statement unspoken.

With all of them packed and ready, Wild hopped on Twilight’s horse and started leading the group east.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read the latest chapter of this fic!!  
> I wrote this over the span of 8 days (instead of my usual 1 to 2 days) so that either helped or hurt my story.  
> I'm not in the greatest of head spaces tonight, so I apologize if my notes are too long-winded. I just felt like I owned you an explanation since I'm not sure how much of my personal life issues bled into the story.  
> ***Side note*** The spacing is wonky in this chapter. I tried to fix it but I couldn't get it to look right so I am leaving it.


	14. Hidden Dangers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group heads towards Hateno village. Shenanigans ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank all of you for your amazing support this past week. So many of you reached out to me and offered words of support and encouragement. I lack the words to properly describe how much your support helped me this week! 
> 
> Side note; I am bumping up the enemies ‘hit points’. I really don't want any monsters that can be one-shotted in this story.
> 
> I had to split this chapter into two parts in order to get something out on this weekend. Good news is the second half is all planned out, I just have to type it up.
> 
> I am having fun writing this next few chapter, so I hope you all enjoy them as well! I gave them a nice little break from all the angst and drama from the previous chapters.
> 
> Just a reminder, this is all my head-canon, so if there are discrepancies from what is "canon", that's your reason.
> 
> Also, I am not an expert on horses, so my terminology is probably off. 
> 
> Enjoy!!!

The morning was a pleasant one. The sun’s warm rays were a nice change of pace to the usually overcast sky. 

The heroes were following a well-worn path created due to the high traffic it used to support. 

Twilight looked off into the distance. There were rolling hills of green grass with various rocks and small ponds scattered around. 

He could feel Epona twitch, and he knew she wanted to run.

Twilight leaned over towards Wild. 

"Hey, let's have a little race. Epona's itching to run, and I want to see how she measures up to mine." 

Wild smiled. "She knows this area just about as well as I do, but yeah, I'll race ya."

"Hey, if you two are having a race, then I want in," Warriors said. 

"Wait, who's racing?" Wind asked.

"Apparently, those fools." Legend chuckled, gesturing towards the trio. He wasn't about to get caught up in that mess, but he was certainly looking forward to watching it.

"Why don't you join us, old man," Warriors called out. "You keep telling us how good you are on horseback, so let's see how good you really are."

Time smirked. He always found it funny that they called him 'old man.' It was true that he was the oldest out of all of them, but he was far from 'old.' Maybe it was time to show these kids what he could do. 

He led his horse up to the trio, much to the shock of the others.

"Wait, are you going to race too, Time?!" Wind asked.

"Oh, this should be good!" Four added, as the 5 heroes not racing gathered up.

Wild was describing the large field to the right of the path. It had just enough natural obstacles to make the race a challenge. 

They would run the perimeter of the field and make their way back to the others.

Sky had been nominated to judge the race.

Four, Wind, Hyrule, and Legend were off to the side, secretly making bets on the race's outcome.

Wild, Time, Twilight, and Warriors turned their horses, so they looked out into the field. They decided to use the path as their starting and fishing line. 

Twilight could feel Epona's muscles tense as she pawed the ground in anticipation. She wanted to run just as much as he did. 

He noticed that the other three horses looked just as anxious to run. After all, they were wild horses, so it wasn't a shock that they wanted to run. 

When all four riders were ready, Sky raised his hand. "Riders, ready..." he began. Wild, Twilight, Time, and Warriors sat deep in their saddles, reading themselves. 

"GO!" Sky yelled. 

Several clicks and whistles filled the air. The four horses took off, their powerful legs propelling them forward as they powered over the land. 

Twilight leaned forward and kept the reins loose in his hands. He pressed his calves and ankles into Epona's side, encouraging her to go faster. 

Pretty soon, all four horses were in a full gallop, their rounded, swift strides plummeting them onward. 

They were quickly approaching a cluster of rocks. Wild and Warriors broke off to go around them. Twilight leaned further forward as Epona leapt over them, making sure to keep his body over her center of gravity. 

Time was right next to him, his horse jumping over the rocks at the same time Epona did. 

The horses' powerful limbs tore into the ground as they recovered from the jump, propelling themselves forward. 

As they approached the first turn, Twilight could see Wild attempting to cut him off from the side.

Twilight leaned to his right as he applied slight pressure to the reigns, signaling to Epona that it was time to turn. 

Epona could sense the other horse approaching. She shortened her stride and banked to the right, effectively cutting off her owner. 

Time was still riding next to Twilight, having pulled a similar maneuver to get ahead of Warriors. 

The four rode in pairs of two as they entered the second stretch. Epona was snorting loudly as she ran, trying desperately to get ahead of Time and his horse. 

Sky, Wind, Hyrule, Four, and Legend were cheering from the path. They had started making their way further up the trail to see which one of the four would cross first. 

Epona leapt over a small pond as she approached the final turn. Wild was slowly catching up and trying to pass Twilight on his right. He veered Epona over to block Wild, but that allowed Time to nudge past him to take the lead. 

The four horses tore into the ground as they cut into the last stretch of the race. As they headed towards the finish line, both Warriors and Time had edged out in front of Wild and Twilight. 

Sky and the others could hear the thundering hooves of the horses as they galloped closer towards them. Wind and Four were jumping up and down, cheering. Even Legend found himself getting swept up in the excitement, surprised that the race was as close as it was. 

Twilight knew it was now or never. "Let's see what you got," he said as he loosened the reins more and pressed harder into Epona's side. A slight flick of her ears told him that she heard. 

Twilight didn't bother stirring. He just hung on and allowed Epona to take control. He could feel that she was about to cut out to the right of Time. 

He leaned over as she swerved out to get around Time's horse. Epona surged forward. Twilight could hear Time whistling at his horse, encouraging her to gallop faster, but the horse was at her limit. 

Once Epona got about a half-length ahead, she swerved back, cutting Time's horse off to take the lead. 

Wild had somehow gotten around the others and was quickly approaching Twilight from the left. 

Epona's ears flicked to the left. She could sense Wild's horse trying to pass. They were neck in neck for a moment, but Epona's stamina was far superior to the others. 

Wild's horse began to fall back just as they got to the path. 

Twilight surged across first, followed closely by Time and Wild. Warriors finished just a beat behind them. 

Twilight patted the side of Epona's neck as she slowed into a canter. "That's my girl," he said. Epona tossed her head and gave a short, happy wine in response.

The four turned their horses around and let them slowly canter back to the others.

Twilight could see Four, Legend, and Wind exchange rupees. From what he could tell, Legend ended up being the victor. 

"Not bad pup," Time said as he brought his horse next to Twilight's. 

"Not bad yourself," Twilight countered. 

"Yeah, for a second, I thought Time was going to win," Warriors added as he trotted up next to them. 

"No way, I knew Twilight was going to win. There was no way any of these horses were going to outlast Epona," Wild smiled.

"No way, I knew Twilight was going to win. There was no way any of these horses were going to outlast Epona," Wild smiled.

"Holy shit, that was amazing!" Wind shouted as the two groups met up.

"What were the final results?" Warriors asked Sky. He knew he had come in last, but he wanted to hear how the other three did.

"Well, Twilight came in first..." Sky began.

"And at the last possible second," Four interrupted.

"...Time squeaked out in front of Wild to take second, leaving Wild to take third and Warriors fourth."

"Well, we all knew ranch boy over here would be good at racing," Legend said as he nodded towards Twilight.

"My rupees were on Time," Four admitted. "I mean, he owns a ranch."

"Honestly, I think it came down to the horses," Hyrule suggested. "I think anyone riding Wild's horse would have won that race."

"I agree," Twilight said. "Epona is a remarkable horse. There aren't many others out there that can keep up with her."

The group chatted for a few more minutes before continuing their journey.

Sure, they wasted about 20 minutes on that short detour, but it was well worth it. The group was in much higher spirits, and that alone made the impromptu race worth it.

They were about 45 minutes back into their journey when they saw him.

Wild, Twilight, Time, and Wind were ahead of the group. Wind was asking Wild a ton of questions about Epona when Twilight noticed someone in the distance.

He sat up straighter, his posture alerting the others that something caught his attention.

Ahead of them, they saw a man on horseback. The horse was throwing its head up and down and refusing to walk any further.

Suddenly, the ground beneath the man erupted, causing the horse to rear up and toss the man from its back before bolting for the tree line.

The rider stood up and was greeted by 7 large, blue chuchus

Wild responded first. He let out a shrill whistle and squeezed his horse's sides, and they immediately took off down the path.

Twilight had spurred Epona to follow almost immediately after, and the others followed closely behind.

Wild watched as one of the chuchus sprung forward, hitting the man across his arm and shoulder and knocking him to the ground.

As Wild approached, he quickly brought his feet up so he was in a low crouch on top of the saddle.

With balance few possessed, he drew his bow and steadied himself as his horse pounded closer to his targets.

As soon as he got in range, Wild jumped up into the air, bow in hand with an arrow already notched.

Twilight and the others found themselves momentarily distracted as they watched Wild leap off his horse and soar into the air.

Wild's focus narrowed in on the three chuchus closest to the man. He loosed one arrow, striking the chuchu nearest to the rider.

In a flash, he had a second arrow notched. He fired it, hitting another chuchu. He managed to notch and fire two more arrows, striking two more chuchus before landing in a forward roll.

Twilight had to blink to force himself to refocus on the enemies ahead of him. For a second, he swore he felt the air around him become heavy as he watched Wild loose four arrows faster than he'd seen anyone do.

His focus regained, Twilight spots two chuchus approaching from behind the stranger. He leaned in the direction of the two so Epona knew which ones to target.

Twilight drew his sword as they approached. He leaned so far over he was nearly perpendicular to Epona.

As Epona clipped by the chuchus, Twilight swung his sword out, slashing both chuchus in one swing.

Wild popped up from his roll, brandishing a royal broadsword. He stood protectively between the traveler and the other chuchus.

Wild lunged forward towards one of the approaching chuchus as the others arrived.

It didn't take long before all the chuchus were dispatched.

Satisfied that the threat was gone, Wild stored his sword and turned to help the stranger to his feet.

"You okay, Garill?" Wild asked.

The others were shocked to hear Wild call the man by his name. Clearly, this wasn't some stranger.

The rider, Garill, held his injured arm as he stared in disbelief at Wild.

"Oh, thank the goddesses you're here, Link!" Garill blurted. "I thought for sure I was a goner!"

"Thankfully, the goddesses seem to have other plans for you," Wild replied.

Wild led Garill to one of the rocks lining the path and made him sit.

Hyrule made his way over to the pair and started examining Garill's injured shoulder.

"I can heal this," Hyrule said more to Wild than to Garill. "It's not serious, so it won't use up a lot of my magic."

Wild gave him a disapproving look. "If it's not serious, I'd rather bandage it for him."

"I second that," Legend added as he joined the three. "I'd rather you not use your magic unless absolutely necessary."

"Wait, your friend here can use magic?" Garill asked, perplexed.

"Yeah, it's kind of hard to explain..." Wild said, not really wanting to go into detail at that moment.

Hyrule brought out some bandage rolls and began dressing Garill's shoulder. He decided to use a small amount of his red potion as a topical so the wound would heal faster.

Wild heard a horse approaching. He looked up and saw Twilight, still on Epona, leading Garill's spooked horse towards them.

"Some horse you are..." Garill murmured as he took the reins from Twilight. "You just dumped me and left me for dead..."

The horse snorted nervously.

"Thank you so much for bringing him back," Garill said to Twilight.

Twilight replied with a quick nod and he dismounted Epona.

"Seriously, thank you all," Garill exclaimed as he addressed all nine heroes. "I don't even want to imagine what would have happened had you all not been here."

"We're just glad we were around to help." Time replied.

Garill turned back to Wild. "You wouldn't be heading to Hateno Village by chance?"

"Yeah, actually, we are," Wild answered.

"I hate to impose, but would you mind if I joined you and your friends?" Garill pleaded. "I am heading there, and I heard rumors that a group of nasty bokoblins has made camp just outside the fort walls."

Wild's eyes shot up to Time before he addressed Garill again. "Did anyone mention a more precise location?" he asked.

Garill nodded. "Yeah, I heard that they are camping out in the old ruins just outside the fort walls."

Wild signed. He really didn't like that area.

Suddenly, the group heard a maniacal laugh coming from the distance.

Wild spun around just in time to see an arrow flying right for them. 

He shoved Garill down and spun to deflect the attack, but the arrow managed to graze Wild across his bicep. 

He hissed in pain as he grabbed his arm. Wild looked up just in time to see a Yiga foot-soldier disappear into a cloud of smoke. 

Wild had his bow out in a flash. He looked around frantically, waiting to see where the Yiga soldier would appear next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I wanted to give the boys a little break (just a small one lol)
> 
> I intended for this chapter to be much longer, but between my mom getting sick and my job I didn’t have as much time to write this week. 
> 
> I didn’t want to skip a week, so I spit the chapter up. 
> 
> Once again, thank you all for your amazing support. 💕💕💕💕


	15. Veiled Threats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, who flipped out when they saw Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity drop this morning (9/8/20) ???? It's coming out two days before my birthday!!! It's like Nintendo said "I'm sorry BoTW 2 is taking so long to release, so here's a prequel...enjoy" OMG OMG OMG OMG.
> 
> Okay, now that I have that out of my system I want to let you all know that I edited all the chapters leading up to this one. Some chapters I added more dialog, especially at the end of chapter 11. Hopefully it reads better and I caught MOST of the grammar errors. 
> 
> I am starting to type this chapter on Sept 8th, so I am hoping to have this out sometime before the weekend. I am flip flopping hard right now on how I want the Yiga scene to play out. I had it set up a certain way, but now I feel like I want to change it, but I still need it to flow into my overall outline (this is part one of a multi-part series so I have to have this story flow into the next installment of the series which I have already started to write).
> 
> I'll let you know in my end notes how this internal battle ends lol. 
> 
> I struggle to write Four. There, I said it. I don't know enough about the character to write him properly. I'm not going to focus on the four personalities but I will hint to them. If I get the colors mixed up please let me know and I will edit the story so it's accurate. I'm have a rough idea of which color has which personality trait, but I know I could be wrong. 
> 
> Also, I know I said I didn't want the bad guys to be one-shotted, but I am tweaking that just a hair. I think that rule is more reserved for monsters than people if the situation is right.
> 
> Also also...head canon. You know the deal by now lol. 
> 
> Enjoy!

"It's the Yiga!" Wild shouted as the other heroes quickly readied their weapons. 

Wild heard two familiar puffs cut through the air. He turned and saw two Yiga soldiers materialize, one behind Four and one behind Wind.

The Yiga grabbed Wind and Four before they could react and held their demon carvers to their throats.

Both Wind and Four slowly raised their hands in surrender. The Yigas' eyes were locked on Wild. 

"Cowards!" Warriors growled when he noticed how the Yiga intentionally targeted the two smallest of the group. He readied his blade, his eyes locked on the Yiga, who had Four.

Wild glared dangerously at the Yiga soldier who had Wind, an arrow nocked and pointed at the soldier's head. 

"Let them go!" Wild snarled as he took a threatening step closer to his target. 

The Yiga soldier tightened his grip around Wind and pressed his rounded blade harder into the young hero's neck.

Wild's eyes briefly flashed with concern when he saw blood slowly trickle down the sailor's neck. 

"Master Koga warned you!" the Yiga spat. "He told you we would track you to the ends of Hyrule!". 

"To what end?!" Wild snapped. "You have no masters left to serve!"

The Yiga holding onto Four laughed. "Foolish hero. Ganon's hatred lives on. Surely you feel it; choose one!"

Wild felt his stomach drop. Was this Yiga talking about the blood moon?

"You lie!" Wild spat back. "I killed Ganon!"

The Yiga holding Wind laughed. "To kill a snake, you must cut off its head."

Wild dropped his bow slightly as his brain grappled with that statement. 

"Ganon will return again...” the Yiga threatened. “...and this time he won't fail!"

Warriors saw Four’s eyes flash blue. Warriors smirked. He recognized that look. These Yiga were about to realize they targeted the wrong Hylians. 

The Yiga soldier holding Four dropped his guard slightly as he listened to his partner's monologue . 

That was all Four needed.

Four quickly grabbed the Yiga's blade hand with both of his. He twisted the footsoldier's wrist and pulled it down and away from him.

Four quickly slipped under the Yiga's arm and twisted it, locking the arm behind the soldier's back. The Yiga struggled to grab Four with his free hand, but couldn't. 

The Yiga holding Wind turned at the sudden disturbance, giving Wind an opening to pull off a similar move. The only difference was, instead of twisting the Yiga's arm behind his back, Wind bit the footsoldier's hand, hard.

The Yiga yelped in pain as he dropped his blade. He pivoted and went to kick Wind in the stomach, but the young hero anticipated the move and rolled out of the way.

Wind stood up, sword in hand, and drove the blade deep into the Yiga's exposed side. 

Almost immediately after, Wind heard a sickening _thunk_ , and he knew Wild had fired his arrow. 

The Yiga soldier crumpled where he stood, an arrow protruding from between his eyes.

At the same moment, Warriors dashed towards the Yiga struggling with Four. He brought his sword up diagonally, slashing the Yiga across his chest and mask. 

The Yiga howled in pain as he stumbled out of Four's grasp. The Yiga immediately locked eyes with Warriors, his mask marred with a deep gash. Before Four could unleash an attack, the Yiga vanished in a puff of smoke. 

Sky ran up next to Wind, his sword and shield out, as he scanned for the second Yiga.

"You okay?" Sky asked as he held his shield out defensively, prepared to block any surprise attack.

"Yeah," Wind said as he reached up to touch his neck. 

When he saw the blood on his hand, he glared down at the fallen Yiga and spat at him. "Bastard!" he growled before readying his blade.

Everyone looked around anxiously. 

Twilight caught the sound of leaves being disturbed behind them. He also noticed that Wild's back was turned, giving the Yiga an opening.

Twilight threw himself at Wild, shield in hand, and brought it up just as the hiss of an arrow cut through the air. The arrow pinged off his shield just as Wild turned. 

Both Hyrule and Wild fired an arrow at the treetops, but the Yiga was no longer there. 

"We will avenge Master Kohga and Lord Ganon!" the Yiga yelled, concealed from view. "You and your princess will never live in peace!"

Everyone bristled at the parting comment. 

"Big words coming from someone hiding in the trees!" Warriors shouted. 

Wild dropped his bow when he heard a puff float through the air. He knew the Yiga had retreated...for now.

He growled in frustration as he turned towards the others.

Garill had been helped up by Time. The man looked shaken but not injured. 

Sky walked a very agitated Wind towards Hyrule, who was searching through his bag for a bandage and potion for the smaller hero. 

Wind pressed his hand to his neck, and Wild could see where the blood had trickled down.

When he thought back to when the Yiga had pressed the demon carver into Wind's neck, Wild heart sank. 

"I said I'm fine," Wind protested as Sky gently directed him to sit on the ground. 

"I know," Sky said calmly. "But even small wounds can get infected. Let Hyrule treat it, and it will be healed come nightfall."

Wind grumbled under his breath but didn't protest further. 

Four understood Wind's mood. He knew the younger hero's pride hurt more than anything. 

Being caught off guard and used as a temporary hostage did not sit well with Four either. 

Being the smallest of the group was never easy. Four found that enemies usually pegged him as an easy target. He always made sure those enemies paid for their misjudgment.

Wind had it worse out of the two of them. He was the youngest, which caused the others to treat him differently at times. 

It wasn't done purposely. They all respected Wind and knew he had gone through his own journey and defeated Ganondorf. Still, the older members of the group couldn't help but be more protective of him. 

Wind usually shrugged it off with a witty comment, but there were times where it got under his skin.

In this instance, Four was sure Wind was angry because the Yiga had pegged him as an 'easy' target and got the jump on him. 

The sailor had quite a temper, but thankfully Sky always seemed to be able to calm him down.

Wild wanted to check on Wind, but he hesitated. He didn't want Wind to think he was fussing over him, but he still felt incredibly guilty about what happened.

Before Wild could decide what to do, he felt a hand grab his wrist. 

He glanced up to where Twilight was standing.

"If you want to talk to Wind, do it later, "he said quietly as if he could read Wild's thoughts. 

"Besides..." Twilight continued as he twisted Wild's arm to get a better look at the gash across his bicep. "...I need to wrap your arm."

Wild couldn't help the small hiss that escaped his lips at the sudden motion. He also knew there was no point in protesting. He sat down as Twilight rummaged through his bag. 

Wild's mind was focused on other things, like the reemergence of the Yiga, and the hint that Dark Beast Ganon wasn't who Wild thought it was. 

Thankfully, neither Wind's nor Wild's wounds were severe. Both Hyrule and Twilight applied a small amount of red potion to the bandages before wrapping the wounds.

Wind's wound would heal completely by nightfall, and Wild's would improve significantly. 

"I think it's time you tell us more about these Yiga," Time advised as everyone gathered.

"Especially if these bastards can just pop up out of thin air," Legend added. 

Garill looked on, confused. "How do you guys not know who the Yiga are?" he asked. 

"We're not from this area," Time answered. 

Garill still thought it was strange, but he simply shrugged and accepted the explanation. 

Wild sighed. He really thought he was done dealing with the Yiga. There were a lot of things he thought he was done dealing with. 

Wild explained his experience with the Yiga. He told them that the footsoldiers made up most of the clan and were the ones he encountered the most. He told them about how he snuck into their hideout and took out their master. 

He told them about the Yiga blademasters; that they were the elite assassins of the clan and were as agile as they were powerful. 

"They are the ones you really need to watch out for..." Wild warned. 

"How do we tell them apart?" Four questioned.

Wild scoffed. "Trust me, you'll know when you see a blademaster. They are twice the size of the footsoldiers and carry a unique blade. It's the only sword, besides the Master Sword, that I've seen shoot out beams of energy."

Everyone's eyebrows raised. 

"You mean they have the sword beam attack?" Legend asked.

"In a way. The blade has a unique design that allows it to manipulate the wind. It can create a vacuum or shoot out blade-like wind attacks. I use to have one before it broke. I never could replicate the higher attack power that the blademasters had with it."

"Do they disguise themselves like the footsoldiers?" Twilight asked.

"Not the blademasters. They will just pop up out of nowhere."

"Lovely..." Legend huffed.

Wild turned to Garill. "You said there was a bokoblin camp just outside Fort Hateno?" 

Garill nodded. "Yes, and from what I've heard, they are not your average bokoblin. These ones are stronger and more aggressive."

There was a collective groan from the group.

"Probably infected," Twilight assumed.

"Infected?" Garill questioned.

Wild nodded. "Something is infecting the monsters in Hyrule. We're not sure how, but it makes them stronger and more dangerous."

Garill's eyes widened. The monsters were already dangerous. 

"We will travel with you to Hateno Village. If what you heard is true, then it would be too dangerous for you to travel alone."

Legend rolled his eyes and earned a discrete elbow from Warriors. 

Garill sighed in relief. "Thank you, Link!" 

"No offense Wild, but I'll be happy when we finally leave your Hyrule," Time said. 

Garill gave Wild a confused look, but Wild simply waved him off. He wasn't about to get into the whole 'we're all Links from different eras' speech.

Wild let out a shrill whistle. Epona neighed in response, and soon she trotted up with the other horses in tow. 

As everyone got ready to mount up, Wind approached Wild.

"I just wanted to say thanks...for saving me back there," he said as he scratched the back of his head. 

"Were we watching the same fight, because I distinctly remember you getting out of that situation all on your own?" Wild asked in mocked confusion.

"Only because Four distracted him," Wind countered.

"So? You took advantage of an opportunity. All good fighters do that."

Wind didn't look convinced.

"Wind, you bit the guy's hand so hard he dropped his blade. Not only that, but you dodged his kick and used the opening to stab him in the ribs. You didn't need me. I only shot him because I was pissed."

Wild wasn't lying. Sure he shot the Yiga to keep him from lashing out at Wind, but he was sure Wind would have finished the job if he didn't. 

And he was pissed.

Wind smirked. "It was a good shot."

"How's your neck?" Wild asked as he eyed the bandage.

"Fine," Wind said. "Sky made a bigger deal out of it than it had to be. He's such a mother cuccu."

"I'm sorry," Wild said.

Wind crinkled his eyebrows. "For what? Sky being a mother cuccu?"

Wind smirked again but dropped it when Wild's frowned. 

"I let my anger get the better of me. I advanced on that Yiga instead of staying back. Had I not done that, he wouldn't have cut you. Besides, I am the reason you and Four were targeted. They went after you to get to me."

Wind didn't know how to respond. He started the whole conversation with the intent of thanking Wild for saving him, and somehow it turned into Wild apologizing to him. 

"Are you seriously apologizing for having a psycho cult chasing after you?" 

Wild tried to give Wind a stern look.

"That look only works when Time does it," Wind quipped. Wild held the look anyway.

"I must have missed it when you snuck off and told the Yiga to take us hostage." Wind continued sarcastically.

"You know what I mean," Wild protested.

"No, I really don't. You didn't tell those assholes to attack us. Hylia above Wild, here I was trying to thank you for saving me, and you're over here thinking the whole damn thing was your fault."

Now it was Wild's turn to feel embarrassed. When Wind put it that way, it did seem silly.

This had been the longest the group had spent in Wild's Hyrule, and he found it nearly impossible to stop himself from feeling guilty anytime one of them was in danger. 

The reality was they were always in danger. It didn't matter whose Hyrule they were in. 

He shifted uncomfortably when he noticed Wind was still staring at him.

Wild sighed (again). "Fine, you made your point," he mumbled. Then he smirked. "So long as you admit you're a badass, and you didn't need my help back there."

Wind laughed. "Maybe they'll think twice before they pick on the little guy."

"Or maybe you and Four will be our secret weapons," Wild smirked. 

"Even better," Four snickered. 

The others had secretly eavesdropped on the two. 

Once Warriors was convinced the two had said what they needed to, he called everyone over. 

"We need to come up with a plan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you all for your amazing support!!! 
> 
> This chapter is a little shorter than the others. I might make the chapters around this length going forward so I can get them out in a timely manner. 
> 
> I initially had the Links encountering just one Yiga, but decided to up the ante a bit and inject a little angst. I have a plan for a larger Yiga encounter. I am going to use this smaller encounter to help lead into the larger one later on. 
> 
> I'm also struggling to name my chapters. Some chapters are easy to name, others not so much. I don't think the chapter names matter all that much, but if you see chapters randomly not titled, that's why.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	16. Fort Hateno

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclosure. When I wrote Toma's part, I got the character's name mixed up with Garill. I meant to add Garill in the story and meet with Toma when they got past the fort walls. I thought about just leaving it alone, but knowing I got the names mixed up is driving me crazy, so I went back and edited the last chapter to change the name. So if you are asking yourself, "who the heck is Garill and what happened to Toma", that's what happened.
> 
> The ruins outside Fort Hateno will be set further back from the actual fort walls. I know it's right outside the fort in the game, but for story purposes I am tweaking where things are so it fits the story better.
> 
> I don't know if Wind has a telescope, but for this story he does. He's a pirate after all....
> 
> Also, I know gold bokoblins exist in Master mode, but for this fanfic the gold ones only exist because they are infected. Again....head canon.
> 
> Moving on...

Wild took out some pre-made seafood rice balls and handed them out so the group could have a quick snack while they discussed possible plans. 

Twilight still couldn't figure out how Wild's slate stored food without it spoiling. Wild swore it wasn't magical, but Twilight wasn't convinced. 

Wild described the basic geographical layout of where he thought the bokoblins were stationed and the area where he wanted the group to approach from that would provide the most cover. 

Wild had cleared that area once before. He was able to kill most of the bokoblins while hiding behind one of the stone ruins. He was hoping to mimic that same strategy.

With a plan set and the group fed, everyone mounted up and continued east. 

Warriors and Twilight joined Wild at the front of the group. Time, Legend, and Sky were a couple of paces behind them with Garill. Four, Hyrule, and Wind hung in the back of the group. 

"Where are you all from if you don't mind me asking?" Garill asked.

"We come from a kingdom across the Great Ocean," Time answered. 

"Really? Wow! I didn't realize there was a kingdom across the ocean. What's it like?" 

"It's similar to this kingdom." Time answered vaguely. 

"What's it called?"

"Lorule," Legend answered flatly. It was the standard answer the group gave when they weren't in Legend's Hyrule.

"Huh, that's fascinating," Garill replied. "The name sounds so similar to Hyrule, and yet I have never heard it before. Tell me, have you heard of the Great Calamity that felled our kingdom?"

Time stiffened a little. "Only whispers of an awful tragedy that occurred a century ago." 

"It was a devastating event," Garill continue. "I'm not surprised tales of it have spread past our shores."

Time glanced up towards Wild, but it didn't seem like he was paying attention to the conversation.

"I've made a point to learn all that I can about the Calamity, specifically the great battle that took place outside Fort Hateno." 

Sky looked up suddenly. "Why that battle?" he questioned. 

Garill looked at Sky. "The soldiers at Fort Hateno risked their lives to protect the world. I've got to make sure future generations know of their bravery and sacrifice."

"That's very noble of you," Time said, and he didn't miss the pointed look Sky gave him. 

Time realized that Wild never specified where they were going. All he knew was they were going to meet with Zelda. 

"Fort Hateno was the last line of defense between Hateno Village and the awful tragedy all those years ago." Garill continued, drawing Time's attention again. "My family lived in Hateno Village at the time. I'm alive today because of those soldiers."

Time remembered Garill asking Wild if they were heading to Hateno Village. He knew the name sounded familiar, but he never connected the village and the fort because the Yiga attacked them immediately after.

Judging by the looks Sky and Legend were giving him, they had made the same connection. 

Garill could sense the sudden uneasiness in the air. He had more questions for the visitors but decided it was best to hold off until later. 

He decided to slow up a bit and join the other visitors riding a few paces behind them.

Legend maneuvered his horse so he was riding right alongside Time. 

"Am I crazy, or are we heading to the same place that Shiekah girl spoke about?" Legend asked in a hushed tone.

"It would seem we are," Time answered. 

"So...we're about to fight a camp of infected bokoblins in the same place Wild...fought to save his Zelda a century ago?" Legend hesitated.

When Sky and Time didn't respond, Legend continued. "Do you really think that's a good idea considering we just ripped open that old wound a few days ago?" 

"Wild didn't seem upset about going there when we suggested we meet his Zelda." Sky reasoned. "It's been a year since he defeated Ganon. I'm sure it's a location he's visited multiple times. It's not like there are a lot of villages in this Hyrule." 

"True..." Legend agreed, but he still wasn't convinced this wasn't going to turn into a shit show. 

Time thought back to when Garill brought up the bokoblin camp. Wild's eyes locked onto his the moment Garill mentioned the fort. 

Time assumed Wild was concerned because they had to fight again, especially with how the last one went down. 

However, there was a flash of panic in Wild's eyes at that moment, and now that Time knew where they were going, he was pretty sure he knew why.

"I don't think Wild wanted us to know where we were going." Time assumed. 

The other two gave him a puzzled look. 

"Think about it. Wild has never openly spoken, in detail, about his journey. All we knew was he defeated Ganon, and he has amnesia. I don't think he ever intended us to find out as much as we did when we visited Impa."

Legend scoffed quietly at the obvious conclusion. 

_If Wild was anything like him, he would never have told them._

Time raised an eyebrow at Legend before continuing. "Now we know more about his journey, specifically when he fought off those guardians at Fort Hateno. Wild was probably hoping we would pass the fort without drawing attention to it. He doesn't want us to put the pieces together..."

"...he doesn't want us to see where he died..." Sky concluded, more to himself than to the others.

Time nodded. 

Legend ran his hand partway through his hair before letting it rest on his head. 

Of course Hylia would force them to fight in the same damn field Wild died in 100 years ago. 

He suddenly wished he was blissfully ignorant of all of it. He glanced back at Four, Hyrule, and Wind, who seemed unaware of their conversation. He was sure they hadn't figured out the significance of where they were heading yet. 

Hell, he wasn't even convinced Twilight understood where they were going. 

Legend knew that Time and Sky wouldn't say anything. There was no point in upsetting everyone, especially Wild. If everything went according to plan, maybe they could get past the fort without anyone being the wiser.

Of course, when did anything ever go according to their plans?

 _This was going to be a shit show_. 

——————————————————

The late afternoon sun hung just above the trees when Wild brought his arm up, signaling the others to stop. 

They all dismounted their horses and gathered around.

"The camp is just a couple miles up the road." Wild began. 

He looked at Garill. "I want you to stay behind. Find somewhere safe to hunker down. Don't come out until you hear me whistle for Epona." 

Garill nodded. As much as he fantasized about fighting next to the other soldiers during the Calamity, he knew he wasn't a fighter and would only get in the way. 

"Be safe, my friend," Garill said. He clasped Wild on the shoulder briefly before turning and heading off into the woodline. 

The plan was to make their way to a point where they could survey the area and figure out how many monsters awaited them. 

Wild led them to a ridge that looked out towards the ruins. The heroes crouched low at the ridge base while Wind slowly crawled his way up through the grass until he was at the top. He took out his telescope and scanned the area ahead.

After a few moments, Wind slowly crawled his way back down to where his friends were anxiously waiting. 

"I could see 12 bokoblins," he began. 

"What color were they?" Wild asked.

"Ten black ones, one silver one and one gold one."

"Gold?" Wild asked, perplexed.

"Looked gold to me," Wind shrugged. 

"That can't be right," Wild said as he held out his hand, silently asking to borrow Wind's telescope.

"Why?" Wind asked as he handed his telescope over to Wild.

"We don't have gold bokoblins," Wild answered as he crawled his way up the ridge. 

He brought the telescope to his eye when he got to the top of the ridge. He could see the ten black bokoblins wandering the area. 

He also noticed the three makeshift lookout towers around the camp, each with a black bokoblin archer inside. At the base of one of the towers stood three explosive barrels. 

The silver bokoblin stood close to the fire, communicating with a gold-colored bokoblin. 

Wild's eyes went wide. He had never seen a gold-colored monster before. 

"Well?" Time asked as Wild made his way back to them.

"It's gold..." he answered, clearly confused. 

"But you just said you didn't have gold bokoblins," Four pressed.

"We don't. We don't have any gold monsters in my Hyrule." Wild said hesitantly.

"Could they be from a different Hyrule?" Twilight asked.

"Doubtful," Wild answered. "It looks just like the other bokoblins in my Hyrule. Only it's gold."

"Maybe it has to do with them being infected," Hyrule suggested. 

"Possibly," Wild said. "If that's the case, we should assume the gold one is the strongest, which is bad considering the silver ones usually give me a run for my rupees."

Twilight thought back to when he was fighting off the silver moblin just a few days prior and how hard it was to kill it. The bokoblins were not as strong as the moblins, but their attacks were faster. 

"Are the black ones stronger or weaker compared to the blue ones we fought?" Wind asked.

"Stronger," Wild answered, drawing a few groans from the group. 

"Should we stick to our plan?" Warriors asked. 

"Yes," Wild answered. "I still think it's the quickest and safest way to handle them. If you find that you can get a shot off at the silver or gold one, take it. The more we can weaken them, the better."

Now that they had an idea what they were up against, the group slowly made its way to the camp. They made sure to stay hidden in the tall grass and use the ruins as cover.

Once they arrived, the group slowly spread out, arcing around the camp's base. 

Wild, Hyrule, and Legend stayed towards the center of the group. Twilight, Time, and Four fanned out to the left while Sky, Warriors, and Wind fanned out to the right.

Wild readied his bow as he crouched behind one of the broken stone pillars. 

He carefully peeked around the structure and aimed at one of the archers. It was imperative to take them out as quickly as possible since the archers would have the best line of sight on them. 

He knew Legend and Hyrule were aiming for the other two.

He loosed his arrow a split second before Hyrule and Legend. 

The other heroes watched as three arrows cut through the air, striking all three archers in the head, causing them to fall backwards. 

The attack caught the attention of the gold bokoblin. It jumped and grunted angrily, alerting the others.

They didn't get far. Six more arrows cut through the air from seemingly every direction, striking the bokoblins where they stood. 

The archers attempted to stand, but the second they were upright, an arrow struck them in the face. Wild, Legend, and Hyrule were not going to give them the chance to look around.

Arrows continued to hiss through the air, striking the confused bokoblins as they tried to figure out who was attacking them.

Twilight noticed that the silver and gold bokoblin were trying to take cover. He quickly loosed an arrow, striking the silver one in the head. 

The gold one shouted in alarm as the silver one stumbled. This gave Warriors an opening, and he loosed his arrow from the other side of the camp. 

The gold bokoblin ducked, barely dodging the arrow. Warriors growled in frustration. He wasn't sure if it sensed the attack or if it was just dumb luck. 

The bokoblin camp was in chaos. Arrows kept tearing in from every direction, keeping the monsters on the defensive. 

Wild, Hyrule, and Legend were doing a good job keeping the archers distracted so they couldn't spot them. 

Warriors and Sky had the best line of sight of the gold bokoblin, but the creature was quick and hard to hit. 

Sky saw the gold one stumble and quickly loosed an arrow, striking it in the shoulder. 

It shouted in anger as it yanked the arrow out. Black blood oozed from the wound.

_Infected._

It grabbed the silver one and dragged it to the ground to avoid the volley of arrows.

Wild nailed one of the archers in the face, knocking it down again.

This time, the bokoblin stayed down. Wild thought maybe he had killed it. 

He readied another arrow when he noticed the assumed dead bokoblin hadn't disappeared into a black cloud of smoke.

Wild narrowed his eyes and saw that the bokoblin was very much alive and was scanning the area.

It locked onto the spot where Time, Twilight, and Four where. Instead of standing, it stayed on its belly and reached for its horn. 

"Shit!" Wild spat as he reached for his slate, a fire arrow materializing a moment later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_"Hold up," Wild said just as the group was about to split up._

" _If they spot us, I'm going to shoot one of their explosive barrels with a fire arrow. That should cause a big enough of a distraction to allow us to run in and gain the upper hand."_

_"That's insane!" Legend said. "What if one of us gets caught up in the explosion?"_

_"I'll give three quick whistles. When you hear them, take cover behind the stone ruins. I've done this before, so long as you take cover, you'll be fine." Wild assured._

_"It's still an insane plan," Legend argued._

_"Better that than letting them throw one of those barrels at us," Wild countered._

_Whatever retort Legend had died in his throat. He didn't even consider that the bokoblins would throw explosive barrels at them._

_"Let's just hope we don't have to rely on that plan," Time said._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Legend spotted the glow from the fire arrow. 

"Damnit!" he cursed as he heard three short whistles. He ducked behind the stone ruin and braced himself. 

Wild nocked his arrow and paused, giving the others time to take cover. 

The bokoblins all stopped and looked up, clearly confused when they heard Wild whistle. The gold one spotted the orange glow of Wild's arrow but didn't have time to react. 

Wild loosed his arrow and quickly ducked behind the stone structure. 

The arrow sunk solidly into the center barrel and ignited in a fiery ball of yellow flame. The other two barrels ignited in a chain reaction, causing a deafening explosion.

The ground shook violently as the shock wave washed over the field. Legend struggled to keep his balance as he shielded his head from the flying debris.

Some of the bokoblins were thrown through the air while others dove to avoid the blast.

The explosion blew apart two of the guard towers, showering the field in fiery debris. The two archers in those towers were killed instantly, and the third archer was blown to the ground.

The gold bokoblin was the first to recover. It stood and locked its gaze on where Wild was hiding. 

It grunted angrily and pointed, causing all the bokoblins to turn in Wild's direction. 

An arrow hissed through the air and struck the gold bokoblin between its ribs. 

Warriors lowered his bow and smirked at the monster's dumbfounded look. 

The gold bokoblin narrowed its gaze at Warriors. It grabbed the silver one, shouted angrily, and pushed it towards the direction of Wild. 

The silver one shouted orders of its own and motioned for four of the black bokoblins to follow. 

The gold bokoblin grabbed the arrow and yanked it out. It shouted at the remaining four bokoblins and started heading in the direction of Warriors.

Wild quickly flicked through is slate and equipped his Moonlight scimitar and Gerudo shield.

He took a steady breath before he rounded the pillar. Smoke began filling the evening sky as small fires continued to burn. 

Legend emerged from his right. 

"What the hell Wild?" he chastised as he brushed some of the debris from his hair. 

Wild smirked. "You're fine, don't be so dramatic."

Legend scoffed as he pulled out his sword and shield.

Wind and Hyrule arose from Wild's left, weapons at the ready. 

It was five on four. Legend could see Wild focus on the silver bokoblin. 

Legend squared his shoulders. Wild took off first, heading straight for the silver bokoblin. 

Legend, Hyrule, and Wind followed close behind.

Legend broke off and headed towards two of the black bokoblins. 

The silver one leapt into the air, its dragon-bone club held high above its head. 

Wild skidded to a halt. He stood defensively, holding the hilt of his sword near his hip with the blade pointed behind him. 

Just as the silver bokoblin brought its club down, Wild pivoted out of the way. He spun behind the stunned monster and brought his sword up across its back, slashing it a few times before it lunged away.

Just a few meters away, Legend dropped into a crouch, his sword above his head as two black bokoblins approached. 

When they got in striking distance, Legend spun around, slashing both bokoblins in the stomach. Before they could recover, Legend came up and kicked one square in the chest, sending it flying back. 

He rounded on the second one and slashed it across the chest before it could fall back.

Wind and Hyrule picked up the remaining two bokoblins and positioned themselves so they were close to Legend in case the vet needed assistance. 

On the other side of the camp, the remaining five heroes emerged from their cover. 

The gold bokoblin glared dangerously at Warriors. The captain had a sense the monster was trying to size him up. 

The creature glanced down for a second before retrieving a one-handed sword from the ground and pointing it right at the captain. 

The sword looked too fancy to be a common broadsword. Warriors had a feeling the sword once belonged to a Hyruilan knight. 

His hand tightened around the grip of his sword as he felt his anger grow. There was no way this bokoblin was keeping such a meaningful blade. 

Warriors took his typical guard stance; his sword held out in front of him and his shield to the side of his hip. He had a feeling this wasn't going to be a typical monster fight.

The gold bokoblin threw itself at Warriors, slashing at him with reckless regard. The blade skittered across Warriors' shield as he ducked. 

The bokoblin raised its arm to attack again, but Warriors anticipated the move and quickly thrusted his blade into the creature's belly. 

The gold bokoblin cried out as Warriors' sword pierced through it. The creature swung wildly, but Warriors caught the blade with his shield and pushed it back. 

Warriors stood with his sword held diagonally in front of him. He kept moving, not wanting to be stuck too long within the bokoblin's reach. 

Suddenly the gold bokoblin lunged out at Warriors, raining blow after blow so furiously that Warriors had no opportunity to counter. 

The captain parried each blow, his skills as a knight shining through. He knew the bokoblin could not keep up that flailing whirlwind of attacks. 

Warriors watched and waited for his chance to thrust his blade into the creature again.

Time caught a glimpse of the gold bokoblin going on the offensive before bringing up his Biggordon sword to deflect an attack.

The black bokoblin swung its dragon-bone club at Time. The experienced hero caught the blow with the flat of his blade before stepping forward and pushing the monster off balance. 

Time raised his sword high and brought the blade down horizontally, striking the bokoblin. 

The bokoblin archer started to sway on its feet. It had already taken a lot of damage when it was blown off its tower in the explosion, and it was struggling against the powerful blows from Time. 

Time makes quick work as he turned the assault back on the archer with two quick, precise thrusts to the creature's chest.

The bokoblin crumples to the ground before disintegrating in a cloud of black smoke. 

Time turned towards Warriors with the intent to help tag-team the stronger bokoblin, but Warriors cuts him off.

"I've got this one, go help Legend!" he shouted. 

Warriors had caught a few glimpses of Legend and knew they needed the extra help.

Time nodded and made his way towards Legend as he struggled to fight off two bokoblins. 

Wind also noticed Legend was starting to get overwhelmed. Taking a page out of Wild's book, the young hero waited until the bokoblin had committed to its dangerous swing before dropping into a forward roll to dodge the attack.

Wind popped up behind the bokoblin and thrusted his sword into its back. The bokoblin screeched in pain as Wind pulled his sword out and slashed the monster right behind its knees, causing it to stumble.

Wind took off towards Legend. He got there just in time to block a sneak attack from the bokoblin who managed to get behind Legend. 

Wind grunted as he tried to push the monster back, but in his haste to get to Legend, he didn't have his feet planted firmly, and the bokoblin managed to push him back, causing the young hero to tumble down the hill. 

Wind's progress was halted suddenly by something large and metallic. He glanced up and was stunned to see a large, spider-like machine sitting in the grass. 

Wind's distraction gave the bokoblin just enough time to reach him. Wind looked up and saw the monster towering over him; its club raised above its head. 

Wind frantically dove under one of the machine's legs, using the seemingly deactivated robot as cover.

The bokoblin suddenly seized up as a blade cut down across its back. 

Time brought his sword back around and slashed the bokoblin across its ribs, sending the monster flying through the air. 

Time quickly helped Wind to his feet.

"Thanks for the save!" Wind said, out of breath.

Time nodded and looked up at the intimidating machine in front of him. He recognized it from the picture in Impa's home as a guardian, and his stomach droped. 

It was much larger than he imagined, and, for a second, he expected the deadly machine to come to life, but judging by the disrepair and moss growing on it, it was more likely that this guardian had long since been deactivated. 

The bokoblin managed to make its way back to them. Time used his sword to catch the monster's club before forcing the weapon off to the side. This created an opening for Wind, and he buried his sword deep in the monster's side, and it collapsed, dead. 

Wind gave Time a quick nod before reengaging with the bokoblin he was fighting before. 

Time turned to join Wild. 

Overall, the group was fairing well and most of the black bokoblins were either dead or on the verge of death.

Legend had regained control now that he only had to worry about one bokoblin. He blocked the dragon-bone bat with his shield and knocked the bokoblin off balance. 

He quickly sheathed his sword and pulled out his fire rod. Before the bokoblin could recover its footing, Legend sent a volley of fireballs towards it, igniting the monster where it stood. 

Knowing the monster was as good as dead, he quickly turned and joined Hyrule, who was currently fighting off a flurry of swings from his bokoblin.

Legend shouted for Hyrule to get out of the way. Hyrule didn't hesitate and leapt off to the side just as Legend lit up the bokoblin with his fire rod.

Four managed to finished off his bokoblin by running the Four Sword through its back and went to assist Warriors.

The gold bokoblin sneered at Warriors as they faced off. The bokoblin lunged and slashed downwards, but Warriors parried quickly, reflexively. 

The bokoblin slashed out again, but Warriors again parried. 

They moved back and forth in this dance, but Warriors' training and experience gave him the upper hand. 

When the bokoblin slashed at him again, Warriors threw his sword up and parried high, pointing his sword towards the monster's face and sliding his blade towards its neck. 

The gold bokoblin leapt back in surprise, slapping Warriors' blade aside. 

Warriors did not fight the blow. He used the deflection and whirled his blade around quickly, slashing the bokoblin across the face. 

Just then, a fizzling sound filled the air. Four looked up and saw a Yiga member materialize behind Warriors. 

Warriors heard the fizzle and poof of smoke behind him. His adrenaline surged, and he shoved the gold bokoblin away and turned just in time for an arrow to pierce right below his collarbone.

Warriors stumbled back and gasped in pain. He looked up and saw the deep gash across the Yiga's mask. 

_It was the same Yiga soldier he fought with earlier._

Warriors heard Four yell his name, and he turned in time to see the gold bokoblin reading an attack. 

Warriors barely managed to get his shield in front of him, but he didn't have time to plant his feet. 

The force of the bokoblin's attack sent Warriors tumbling down the hill. 

The Yiga soldier laughed and readied his bow for a second attack when two arrows struck him. He gasped and turned to see both Hyrule and Legend with their bows out, readying to loose another round of arrows. 

The Yiga immediately retreats in a puff of smoke. 

Twilight suddenly appeared next to Four, and the two dash towards the yellow bokoblin to keep it from attacking Warriors. 

Sky looked up as Warriors was knocked down and immediately ran towards him.

Warriors groaned painfully as he slowly picked himself up off the ground, his hand holding tight against the wound in his shoulder.

He froze when he heard the whine of something mechanical come to life just a few feet behind him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for all of your amazing support!!! I really hope you enjoy this chapter. I worked really hard at it. I probably put the most work into this and the next chapter. 
> 
> And yes, this chapter ran away from me. I have no idea if these fight scenes make sense, read well, but I tried lol.
> 
> I already have the next chapter outlined. I just have to type it. Work is getting busy again so my free time is slowly shrinking. I will try to get a chapter out a week, but it might take up to two weeks on some of the longer ones.
> 
> Again, thank you all for being so encouraging!! I really, really hope you all like this chapter. I am really nervous about it.
> 
> Question: Do you want me to post chapters that are this length or should I shorten them so I can upload them quicker? I have the next chapter outlined, but it might take me two weeks to get up. I can split it up, but then I worry the flow of the story will be thrown off. Would you rather have the whole chapter put up at once and have it take a little longer to post, or split the chapter and have it posted sooner?


	17. Haunted Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This story is going to flip flop between points of view, so you will see a few of the Link's point of view first, then I will switch and describe how some of the others are responding at that same moment. Hopefully it's not confusing. I will put breaks in so you know when I switch.
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~ will symbolize the break in POV's
> 
> ___________ will symbolize a time break (time skip)
> 
> I assume it takes the guardian about 10 seconds to power up and target it's victim. That's about all the time Wild and the crew have to respond in the beginning.
> 
> Also, I am not going to try to focus on EVERY character in EVERY scene. I don't want the story to get too long winded (which I'm sure it already is lol).
> 
> Also also...fairies are not a cure-all in my head-canon. They are better than a potion, but they will not take you from the brink of death to 100% health.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys...seriously some of your comments bring tears to my eyes, in a good way of course!
> 
> I am blown away by your support!! Thank you so much for motivating me to continue! I LOVE writing and it makes my heart so happy that you all are enjoying this story.
> 
> I am issuing a trigger warning for this chapter if you suffer from anxiety/panic disorders. Some of our boys are going to feel the effects of panic, and I will describe it (I suffer from a panic disorder so I am going off how panic feels to me.) It's not intense, but it will be there.
> 
> I really hope this chapter turns out okay.
> 
> ***OKAY, I am dumb! I thought the stamina elixirs were amber in color. They're green (can you tell how often I made elixirs in BoTW lol) Soooooo, from here on out the stamina elixirs will be amber and the magic elixirs will be green. Sorry if this irritates anyone, but I made a point of Wild being able to recreate green potions and how green potions didn't exist in his word....ugh***

It took everything the silver bokoblin had to remain standing. It was tired and hurt, but it would not retreat.

The monster swung once more at Wild, but the momentum caused it to trip. 

Wild easily sidestepped out of the way, bringing his scimitar down across the monster's exposed side. 

The bokoblin stumbled but didn't fall, and it turned to face Wild once more. 

Wild readied his blade when something caught his attention. Wild smirked dangerously as he leapt back. 

The bokoblin stared dumbly at Wild before a sword was run straight through it from behind. 

The sword was pulled out of the bokoblin quickly, causing the monster to collapse. Time towered over it as it disintegrated into a black cloud.

Wild barely had time to react when he heard an all too familiar mechanical whine drift over the camp. 

It was a sound he hadn't heard since defeating Ganon.

Wild's head spun towards the direction of the noise; his eyes transfixed with horror as he watched the guardian burst to life in a flash of red.

He felt a numbing sensation start in his fingers and quickly spread across his skin as his breathing grew thin and ragged.

Wild's eyes darted around the field, desperately trying to figure out where the rest of his brothers were. Some were close to the guardian...too close.

A familiar flash of blue caught Wild's attention, and his eyes immediately locked onto Warriors, who was dangerously close to the guardian stalker. 

_This has to be a nightmare!_ Wild thought. _Hylia, please let this be a nightmare!_

It wasn't, and Wild's stomach contracted in a tight ball when he watched Warriors stumble to his feet.

He felt the blood drained from his face when he noticed the captain was injured. 

Time saw Wild's face pale as the champion froze in terror. 

His heart immediately began to race as he spun around to see what had Wild so terrified. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sky skidded to a stop when he saw the guardian slowly rise onto its spider-like legs, the Master Sword in his hand glowing a fierce, icy blue. 

Off to the side, Legend and Hyrule watched in stunned silence.

Twilight and Four halted their fight across the camp and turned in the direction of the foreign sound. Even the gold bokoblin seemed caught off guard.

Four recovered first and quickly used the momentary distraction to plunge his sword between the monster's ribs, ending its life. 

Twilight couldn't believe what he was seeing. 

He heard Wild describe the guardians enough times to recognize what he was looking at.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Warriors swallowed hard as he felt his throat begin to close. Every fiber in his body was screaming that, whatever was behind him, was a threat.

He slowly turned and saw a giant spider-like machine rise from the ground. 

It was bathed in a dangerous red glow that made the hairs on Warriors' neck stand up. 

The machine's 'head' quickly whirled to life and spun around, revealing a single red and blue eye that seemed to be scanning the area. 

Warriors froze in place, his mind and heart racing. He had no idea what to do. Suddenly the eye narrowed in on him. 

In a flash of red, a tracking laser was locked onto his chest. The machine emitted a loud, repetitive _twupt_ sound as it inched closer, causing Warriors' heart to pound faster.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time’s breath hitched as he watched the very active guardian rise. He spun back to Wild, not bothering to mask his growing panic.

Wild was rooted where he stood. His mind was all over the place. One second he was watching Warriors struggle to get up, and in the next, it was him struggling to get up as a guardian advanced on him and Zelda a century ago. 

Wild heard the _twupt_ sound as the guardian locked in on him, but the sound was loud, and it cut through the memory. 

The memory faded, but the sound did not.

Wild blinked. He looked out and saw the red laser trained on Warriors, and his stomach dropped. He knew he wouldn't reach the captain in time.

"GET DOWN!" Wild shouted desperately as he started to run towards Warriors; Time and Wind hot on his heels.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Legend heard Wild shout.

The vet paused for a beat, debating if he would have enough time to reach Warriors, but the _twupting_ sound suddenly increased in speed, and it made Legend's blood run cold. 

Legend cursed as he tackled a still-stunned Hyrule to the ground and braced himself for whatever hell this guardian was about to unleash on them.

Legend stopped praying to the goddesses long ago, but in that moment he silently pleaded for them to protect Warriors.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Warriors couldn't hear Wild over the machine's tracking laser and the rushing of blood in his ears. 

His mind screamed for him to run when the _twupting_ sound grew quicker, but his body wouldn't comply. 

The tracking laser suddenly disappeared, and the eye flashed brightly, and Warriors was suddenly was aware of what he was staring at. 

_This was a guardian, and it was about to kill him_.

Just as the guardian's laser prepared to fire, Warriors was suddenly tackled, hard, and sent flying into the ground.

He looked around, completely disoriented, and noticed a familiar, white sailcloth fluttering above him.

The laser fired, hitting the spot where Warriors had been standing seconds before. 

Sky felt Warriors get knocked out of his grip as the explosion threw the two several feet into the air. 

The deafening blast, intense heat, and being tossed in the air like a ragdoll was enough to disorient Sky and Warriors completely. 

Sky slammed into the ground and rolled several feet before stopping, the impact leaving him gasping for air. 

Warriors landed heavily on his back. His head immediately exploded in pain before his world went dark.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Legend couldn’t believe how powerful the guardian's attack was. He wrapped himself tightly around Hyrule as the heat and debris from the blast washed over them. 

Legend managed to look up just in time to see Sky and Warriors land about 10 feet ahead of him. 

_When did Sky get there?_

Legend watched as the Skyloftian rolled to a stop before immediately getting onto all fours. He crawled slowly towards Warriors, who looked surprisingly intact.

Legend suddenly let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. 

Sky had managed to get to Warriors before the guardian attacked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sky tried to shake off the disorientation from the blast as he crawled towards Warriors. They had to get to safety before the guardian found them.

"Come on! We have to run!" Sky yelled as he grabbed Warriors to help him up, but Warriors didn't move. 

Sky looked down and immediately felt his stomach knot up. Warriors was lying there, eyes closed, completely still. 

Sky began to panic. "Warriors! Wake up! We can't stay here!" he pleaded as he shook the unconscious man by the shoulders, but the captain did not respond. 

Sky cursed when he hear the guardian scurrying towards them. They were out of time. 

He whirled around towards the approaching guardian. He felt his breath get caught in his throat as he watched the death machine stalk their way. It looked ten times more intimidating now that it was moving.

Sky swallowed hard as he took out his shield and stood protectively over Warriors. He wasn't sure if he shield would hold, but he was out of ideas. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Legend's eyes went wide when he saw the guardian advance on Sky and Warriors. 

He jumped up, his sword and shield out. He wasn't sure his sword would do any damage against the metallic beast, but he wasn't about to watch that thing fire at Sky and Warriors a second time. 

Just as Legend readied himself, he saw Wild out of the corner of his eye in a dead sprint towards the guardian. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wild was desperately trying not to panic as he watched the guardian loom over Sky and Warriors. 

His eyes were darting all around the field as he ran, looking for something that could give him an advantage. That's when he spotted a small grass fire close to the guardian. 

Wild dashed for the fire. As he neared it, he deployed his paraglider and leapt. The heat from the flames pushed him high into the air.

Wild felt his panic rise when the _twupting_ sound of the tracking laser started. He looked down and saw the laser trained right on Sky, who held his shield out protectively.

Wild knew that wouldn't save them. None of them knew how to deflect the laser. 

He felt himself reach the peek of the updraft. He closed his eyes and took a steaded breath, calming his racing mind. He had to focus.

The _twupting_ picked up speed just as Wild let go of his paraglider and nocked an arrow to his Royal Guard bow, his focus solely on the guardian's eye. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Legend could only watch as Wild leapt into the air and used his paraglider to fly high above the guardian. 

Legend knew the second the air around him changed that Wild was about to unleash hell. 

He saw Wild loosed his arrow and immediately nock another with blinding speed. The champion's eyes never left his target. 

Wild focused with pinpoint accuracy as he released the second arrow and readied a third. Any fear he felt prior was gone and replaced with blind determination to protect his brothers. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sky braced himself as the guardian charged up its attack. He felt his vision tunnel as the twupting increased. At that moment, he couldn't think of anything else but the towering guardian standing in front of him. 

Suddenly, he felt the air around him changed. It had a familiarity to it, and, for a second, Sky felt a flicker of hope. 

He was quickly brought back to reality when he saw the tracking laser fade. He gritted his teeth and waited for the inevitable blast, but it never came. 

Instead, he watched as four arrows, in succession, struck the guardian's eye, causing the guardian to sputter and disrupt its attack. 

Sky swung around and saw Wild soaring through the air, bow in hand. 

The champion landed into a forward roll and leapt back to his feet with incredible speed. 

"Cut its legs off!" Wild yelled so everyone could hear. "If it targets you, shoot it in the eye!"

Legend pulled Hyrule up onto his feet. "Help them!" he pleaded as he directed his descendent towards Sky, who was still standing protectively over Warriors. 

Wild skidded to a halt next to Sky. He had to bite back the panic he felt when he saw Warriors unconscious. 

"Get him out of here!" Wild ordered. 

Sky didn't have to be told twice. He went to pick up the captain but paused when he saw a royal broadsword materialize in Wild's hand. 

The Master Sword hummed.

Sky grabbed Wild by the wrist, drawing a confused look from the champion.

Sky reached behind him and drew the Master Sword. Wild watched as Sky flipped the glowing blade around and held the hilt out towards him.

The two didn't need to exchange words. Wild knew the Master Sword was the best weapon against the maliced-fueled guardian. Apparently, the sword made that fact known to Sky. 

Wild didn't hesitate. He took the Master Sword and handed the royal broadsword to Sky before taking off towards the guardian. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sky knelt and wrapped Warriors arm around his neck and shoulders and quickly hoisted him up just as Hyrule arrived. 

Hyrule wrapped his arm around Warriors waist and led them to an area behind one of the stone ruins where he felt they had the best cover.

The traveler immediately started checking Warriors for any obvious signs of injury. 

"Did he get hit by the laser?" Hyrule asked as he examined Warriors. Other than the puncture to the captain's shoulder, there weren't any obvious signs of trauma. 

"No, it missed us," Sky panted as he stood protectively in front of them. 

"We got caught up in the explosion. Maybe he hit his head?" Sky offered.

As if on cue, Hyrule had reached behind Warriors' head and felt something warm and slick. He pulled his hand back and winced when he saw blood. 

Hyrule immediately reached in his bag and pulled out one of the remaining fairies. Head injuries were no joke, and Warriors had a serious one. 

He opened the bottle and watched as the little fairy fluttered around for a couple of seconds before she settled over Warriors' head. 

Sky glanced back, and the two watched anxiously as the fairy hovered over Warriors for a moment before flying away.

Hyrule rechecked the back of Warriors' head and was relieved that the wound had closed, but the injury to his shoulder was still open. 

Hyrule frowned. The head injury must have been severe if the fairy didn't have enough power left to heal his shoulder. 

Hyrule didn't hesitate. He closed his eyes and placed both hands on Warriors. Sky turned and watched a familiar pink glow form from Hyrule's hands as the traveler began to heal Warriors' remaining injuries. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wild was the first to reach the guardian. 

The guardian was still trying to recalibrate itself when Wild leapt through the air and brought the Master Sword down across one of its legs, leaving a deep gouge in its wake. 

Time, Four and Twilight joined him as they wove around the guardian's lanky metal legs, slashing at them with all their strength. 

Legend and Wind hung back with their bows out. They danced around the perimeter, making sure to keep the guardian's eye insight so they could shoot it if it locked onto any of them, but staying out of the murder machine's direct line of sight. 

The guardians let our a whirling alarm as it frantically tried to lock onto one of its many attackers. 

It was able to target Four, but an arrow suddenly cut through the air and pierced its eye, causing it to glitch out again. 

Four turned and saw Wind nocking another arrow. He had to remember to thank the sailor later.

Wild and the others had to continually dodge the metallic limbs as the guardian skittered around, trying to get a better line of sight on the heroes. 

One of the legs shot out at Wild, and Twilight was sure it would take his protégé out. 

Instead, he watched as Wild did a backflip at the last possible second, dodging the attack. The air grew heavy as Twilight watched Wild charge in and slashed the guardian with unbelievable speed. 

He had seen the cub do this before, but it always amazed him when he witnessed it. He had discussed it with Time one night. The older hero silently speculated that Wild could somehow manipulate time itself when he attacked like that. 

Time turned as Wild finished his attack and saw that the guardian's leg barely hanging on. He spun away from where he was attacking and rounded on the sparking appendage. 

Time arced his sword over his head before bringing it down on the crippled leg, severing it from the guardian. 

The guardian stumbled, but it managed to regain its balance quickly. Its attacks started coming quicker as if it knew it was being overpowered. 

Wild and Time were feverishly slashing at another leg when the guardian whirled suddenly. Wild managed to dodge a flailing leg, but Time wasn't as lucky, and it struck him across the chest and sent him tumbling back. 

Time sat up just as a red laser targeted his chest. He wasn't prepared for how intimidating it would feel to have the guardian's laser trained on him. 

Legend saw the guardian lock onto Time. He had the best position to shoot the guardian's eye, but he had to get closer to get a clean shot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wild quickly recovered and started hacking fiercely at the guardian's leg. He heard the tracking laser activate shortly after Time was knocked back. 

He knew Legend and Wind were handling the ranged attacks, so he continued slashing at the leg. 

When Wild didn't hear the _twupting_ stop, his adrenaline began to spike. 

He wasn't in a position to climb on top of the guardian to stab it in the eye, so he had to have faith Wind or Legend would shoot it before it fired.

He gave one more powerful swing at the guardian's leg, severing it from its body. He immediately had to jump out of the way as the guardian listed violently to the side. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Legend loosed his arrow and cursed loudly when the guardian suddenly tipped over, causing his arrow to miss its target.

He watched as the guardian slammed into the ground and was shocked to discover that its laser did not deactivate with the impact. Instead, Legend found the laser trained on him. 

Time lunged out of the way as the massive guardian came crashing into the ground. 

He jumped up and immediately balked when he saw the laser lock in on Legend, the _twupting_ sound speeding up. 

He barely had time to shout Legend's name before the guardian fired.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Instinct took over, and Legend brought his shield out just as the guardian fired.

Legend felt himself get pushed back just as his whole world exploded in blinding whiteness. 

Searing pain shot up his arm like fire, overwhelming all of his senses. He wasn't sure if he screamed or not. He couldn't hear anything over the ringing in his ears. 

The next thing Legend was aware of was that he was lying on his back. He tried to take in a breath, but it was as if two fists clamped tightly onto his lungs. 

He swallowed thickly, the taste of copper on his tongue. 

He couldn't think straight. He couldn't remember where he was or what happened. He tried to move and instantly regretted it when his whole side seized up from the intense pain. 

Sweat dripped down his forehead, and his head felt light and dizzy. He tried opening his eyes, but the world looked blurry as if he was seeing it from underwater and, before he knew it, everything turned black. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hyrule eyes flew open when heard the familiar beep of the guardian's laser firing. 

What he sees causes his brain to stutter for a moment. The healing glow from his hands halted as every part of him went on pause while his thoughts struggled to catch up. 

The guardian, suddenly on its side, had fired its laser, striking Legend.

He felt the blood drain from his face as the blast shattered Legend's shield and sent the vet flying through the air. 

He jumped up to his feet, ignoring the wave of dizziness that washed over him. He made to run after Legend but hesitated. He glanced back to Warriors, then up at Sky with bewildered eyes.

Sky was still reeling over what he had witnessed but snapped out of it when Hyrule looked at him with pleading eyes. The kid didn't know what to do. Sky knew he wanted to go to Legend but probably felt guilty leaving Warriors.

"Go!" Sky said confidently as he knelt next to Warriors and began digging for a red potion. Between the fairy and Hyrule's healing, Sky knew Warriors would be okay. 

Hyrule nodded before he turned and made a beeline to his predecessor. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wind was the first to reach Legend. He dropped hard to his knees and began to take in the vet's condition. His hands hovered nervously over Legend, unsure what to do. 

Wind's brain was still scrambling to make sense of it all. 

Legend was in rough shape. Burns ran up the length of his arm, shoulder, and across the side of his face where the laser had undoubtedly struck. 

The vet appeared unconscious, but his brows were knitted in a pained expression. His breathing - _oh thank Hylia, he was still breathing_ \- was coming out in shallow gasps.

Wind's eyes darted around before they landed on Legend's shattered shield. 

"You lucky bastard...that shield probably saved your fucking life," Wind said to himself, his trembling voice betraying him.

The sailor jumped when Hyrule suddenly appeared next to him, looking equal parts panicked and determined.

Hyrule already had the last fairy bottle in his hand. He opened it and watched anxiously as the fairy fluttered over Legend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The others started as the guardian's laser fired. Twilight and Four spun around, but before their brains could comprehend what was going on, the guardian's legs lashed out, knocking the two to the ground. 

Time and Wild had to scramble out of the way of the machines flailing limbs as it struggled to right itself. 

Wild was about to lash out at the guardian again when he saw Hyrule charging across the camp.

His eyes drifted in the direction Hyrule was heading, and he suddenly felt his blood run cold. 

He assumed the guardian's laser had fired harmlessly into the field. 

He assumed wrong.

Another flailing metallic leg whipped through the air, catching Wild across his back and sending him crashing to the ground. 

Wild pulled himself up with a groan just as the _twupting_ sound began again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fairy had barely finished healing Legend before Hyrule's hands landed on the still unconscious hero, pink energy flowing freely from the traveler's hands. 

Wind looked on anxiously. The burns on Legend's arm looked better, but the vet still looked like he was in a lot of pain, even while unconscious.

The sailor glanced towards the others and saw that the guardian had managed to get itself upright. 

No sooner had the guardian righted itself than the alarming _twupting_ sound began, the laser locked on Hyrule.

Wind didn't know what to do. He saw what happened when Legend tried to block the laser with his shield. 

That didn't stop the younger hero from jumping in front of Hyrule with his shield out. 

Hyrule's stomach lurched when he heard the _twupting_. He saw Wind jump in front of him, but he knew the younger hero wouldn't be able to deflect the laser. 

Hyrule growled in frustration as the pink glow disappeared from his hands. He reached out and grabbed Wind by his tunic and dragged him back.

Wind landed on the ground with a start. He turned to Hyrule to ask _what the hell_ when he saw the traveler's eyes close.

Hyrule's red shield appeared around them. Wind turned back towards the guardian, his eyes wide with fear. He prayed Hyrule's barrier would hold. 

Hyrule gritted his teeth in anticipation. He could feel the tugs of exhaustion threatening to overtake him as he poured all of his magic into the shield. 

Deep down, he knew the shield wouldn't hold, but maybe it would deflect enough of it for them to survive. 

Wind crouched on one knee as the _twupting_ increased and pulled his shield out. If the barrier failed, maybe he would be able to deflect the laser. At the very least, he could spare Legend and Hyrule from getting hit. 

He squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself, but suddenly he heard the sound of boots skidding across the ground ahead of him.

He cracked an eye open before both eyes flew wide in shock.

Standing ahead of him was Wild, panting heavily with his shield held out defensively. 

The champion glanced back towards Wind for a brief second, his usually bright blue eyes looking glacial. 

Wild’s mind quickly flashed to Zelda. He remembered placing himself in front of her as a guardian readied its laser. It would be his last act while he was alive. 

He quickly blinked away the memory and turned his attention back to the guardian. 

He would not be taken down so easily a second time. 

Wind could only watch as Wild glared dangerously at the guardian.

Hyrule heard the disruption and stole a glance ahead of him. His shield flickered precariously when he saw Wild standing ahead of them. 

His breathing began to shallow into sharp gasps for air as his throat began to close. He didn't know what to do. Wild wasn't inside the barrier, he couldn't extend it out further, and they were out of time. 

Wild was pretty sure he heard Twilight scream his name as the guardian fired its laser. 

He tightened his grip on his Gerudo shield and narrowed his gaze. He could feel the sweat dripping off his face. He had to get the timing just right.

Wind was pretty sure he screamed Wild's name when the laser collided with the champion's shield, but he wasn't prepared for what he would witness next.

Wild swung his shield out at the last possible second, colliding with the laser. Instead of the laser destroying his shield, it was deflected back towards the guardian, striking it. 

The guardian sparked and sputtered as it tipped backward from the force of the blast, causing the others to dive for cover. 

Hyrule’s barrier drop when he could no longer concentrate on the spell; his attention focused on Wild as he took off running towards the stunned guardian. 

Wild needed this fight to end.

He quickly deployed his paraglider as he neared the downed guardian. Using one of the small fires ignited from the blast, Wild leapt into the air and flew directly over the guardian. 

The guardian's eye honed in on Wild, _twupting_ angrily.

The second Wild was directly above the guardian's dangerous eye he let go of his paraglider and brought out the Master Sword.

The others watched, astounded, as Wild dropped from the sky and plunged the Master Sword deep into the guardian's eye.

He pulled the Master Sword out and backflipped off the guardian as it sputtered and sparked dangerously. Electrical currents forked up its body before it exploded in a shower of sparks and flying parts.

Wild didn't waste any time before he turned and ran back towards Legend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wind's attention was dragged away from Wild when he saw Hyrule pitch to the side. 

The younger hero caught him by the arm before he face planted. 

"Shit...are you okay?!" Wind stammered. 

Hyrule's eyes screwed shut as a wave of dizziness crashed into him. He had pushed himself to his limit, and Legend still needed healing.

That's when he remembered Wild's potions. His eyes flew open, and he clumsily began digging through his bag. 

Wind was about to protest when he saw Hyrule pull out two potions, one green, and one amber.

The brunette quickly downed both potions and immediately felt the restorative effects wash over him. 

Wild appeared next to Wind, all of the steadiness and fierceness he once held in his eyes gone. 

"Shit....is he...are you..." Wild stuttered as he stared between Legend and Hyrule, the fear and panic he fought so hard to suppress now boiling to the surface. 

Wild ran his hand restlessly through his sweat-soaked hair as his thoughts started to jumble together. 

A steady hand gripped his shoulder, startling Wild. 

"Easy cub," Twilight responded as calmly as he could, but Wild could detect the hint of worry in his mentor's voice. 

Wild turned and saw everyone approaching, including Sky, who was supporting a very dazed but conscious, Warriors.

"How is he?" Time questioned as he neared.

"I'm n-not sure," Hyrule answered honestly. "I used a fairy, but I...I don't know. I still need to heal him."

Time turned towards Wild. "Cub, how far is the village from here?"

Wild looked up at the rapidly darkening sky. "Um, not close...it's at least another half-days ride from here."

"Then we make camp here," Time decided.

__________________________________________________

The first thing Legend became aware of was the intense throbbing behind his eyes. 

_What in the goddesses' names happened?_

His mind was sluggish as he struggled to recall the events of the...day...night? Honestly, he wasn't sure.

Muffled voices began to filter through as the dense fog that blanketed his senses began to lift slowly. 

_Hylia above, did he go drinking with Warriors again?_

_Wait...Warriors. Something happened to Warriors..._

Suddenly the events of the day began to flood into his mind. He remembered fighting an obnoxious group of bokoblins. He remembered Wild blowing up half the camp.

_Was that why his head hurt?_

Then it hit him—the guardian. 

Legend's eyes flew open as he sat up, an action he almost immediately regretted.

His vision blurred as he was hit with an intense wave of nausea. That wasn't as bad as the pain that ignited all over the right side of his body, causing him to gasp. 

He heard the muffled voices get louder as some invisible force slowly pushed him back to the ground.

"...bre-the- Le--nd..." he heard someone above him say.

Legend suddenly realized that he was holding his breath. 

He kept his eyes screwed shut as he focused on controlling his breathing.

Once he was sure he wasn't about to throw up, he tried opening his eyes again. 

Hovering above him was someone in a familiar sea-blue tunic and shaggy blond hair.

Legend knitted his eyebrows together as he willed his brain to work properly.

"You look like shit. You know that?" 

_That was definitely Wind._

"Don't tell him that!" someone else hushed.

_...and that was Sky._

Legend couldn't help but scoff softly. 

"...feel like shit..." he rasped.

Slowly, the world above him came into focus. He realized he was lying on the ground. Above him, the pale crescent moon shone vividly, indicating the lateness of the night.

Legend glanced to his side and saw Hyrule sleeping.

"He's been worried about you," a deep voice said quietly. Legend turned his head and realized Time was sitting next to Sky. "He only just now fell asleep."

Legend tried to piece together the events of the day, but he couldn't remember much after the guardian appeared.

Sky was suddenly at his side, a red potion in hand. Legend winced slightly as the Skyloftian helped him lift his head just enough to drink the potion. 

As the potion began to take effect, Legend felt the tugs of exhaustion start to pull at him. 

"...what happened?" he asked sluggishly, his eyes already feeling heavy.

"Rest first," Time suggested as Legend closed his eyes, slipping into a dreamless sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *deep breath*


	18. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wild angst, because I can't help myself.  
> Also, some bonding time because Wild needs it after that fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We just got word our school will be opening in 3 weeks, so I have to crack down on my lesson planning (I have rough outlines of what my classes will look like through winter break, but I have to get my google classroom set up in the event that we have to shut the school down for quarantine. I will not have the time I have currently enjoyed to work on this fic.  
> I am NOT going to stop writing, I just might not get a chapter up weekly anymore. My upload schedule will most likely be every 1.5-2 weeks going forward. 
> 
> I hope to wrap this fic up this story before school resumes. I already have the beginning of the second part of this series started, so there shouldn't be a big break between the end of this one and the start of the next.
> 
> Again, I am not going to stop writing. I am committed to this fic. I just want to give you all the heads up in case you are wondering why the chapters aren't coming out as frequently as they were before.
> 
> I will be mentioning character's ages in this. If I am wrong, just chalk it up to head canon. It's what I imagine their ages to be. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Twilight, as Wolfie, found Wild perched in a tree a short distance from the camp. 

Once Hyrule had declared that both Warriors and Legend would recover, Wild told the group he wanted to gather ingredients to make more elixirs before quickly disappearing from camp. 

Twilight suspected the cub's excuse was half true. The group ended up using most of the red potions Wild made, and Hyrule had finished off both of his green potions, but he also suspected Wild was using it as a convenient excuse to avoid everyone.

Twilight gave Time a knowing look, to which the older hero simply nodded in reply. 

The two didn't need to exchange words to understand each other. Time knew Twilight needed to make sure Wild was okay. Honestly, the whole group was worried about Wild, but they knew Twilight has the best chance of getting the cub to open up. 

True to his word, Wild was collecting various insects and plants. There was something off, though. Wild's movements were slower, more sluggish. He was going through the motions, but his mind was elsewhere. Clearly, he was coming down from the insane adrenaline dump he likely experienced during the guardian fight. 

Before long, Wild gave up on gathering ingredients all together and quickly climbed a nearby tree. 

Twilight kept out of sight as he debated how he would get Wild to open up.

"I know you're following me." 

Twilight mentally signed. Of course the cub knew he was being followed. Wild's awareness of his surroundings could rival his own at times.

Twilight trotted out from his hiding spot and shifted into his Hylian form as he approached the tree.

Twilight pulled himself up onto the branch where Wild was perched. The two sat silently for a few minutes. The moon's soft light cast a silvery glow, which illuminated several metallic objects that littered the field.

Twilight stiffened. He recognized the outline of those metallic objects. They were guardians—lots of them. They laid, scattered, along the entire length of the field right up to a large, stone wall that extended the field's full width in the distance.

"I would say there's nothing to worry about; that they have long been deactivated, but I'm not so sure anymore," Wild said quietly, never taking his eyes off the field ahead of them. 

Twilight glanced at Wild. The cub's face was unreadable, but Twilight could see the storm of emotions hidden behind his eyes.

Twilight looked back towards the stone walls as his thoughts began to wander. 

_"...when you approached the field in front of Fort Hateno, it had been overrun with guardians..."_

_"...you wouldn't be heading to Hateno Village by chance?"_

Twilight's breath caught in his throat.

"Cub...where are we?"

Wild signed. "Just outside Fort Hateno," he replied quietly. 

Twilight mentally kicked himself for not piecing it together sooner. His eyes darted back to the field.

Dread crept over him as he realized just how many guardians scattered the field. There had to be at least 100.

"This...this is the place Paya talked about, isn't it?" Twilight whispered, his eyes wide. 

Wild nodded and pulled his hood up. He _really_ didn't want to talk about it.

His grand plan to pass this place under cover of night had epically failed. Not only did the bokoblin camp throw a wrench into everything, but a freaking guardian just _had_ to spring to life. 

Twilight felt his stomach sink. If this was the place Paya spoke about, that that could only mean one thing...

This was where Wild had died. 

Twilight couldn't stop himself from imagining what this field looked like 100 years ago. He'd seen what one guardian could do; he couldn't imagine hundreds of the deadly machines crawling their way through Hyrule. 

He also couldn't help but think that, somewhere on that field, Wild had made his last stand, giving his life to protect Zelda's. It had been bad enough to hear Paya recount that day, but to see the field where it took place made it worse. 

"You fought those things alone?" Twilight shuttered. He knew Wild fought all of the monsters in his world alone, but it seemed unbelievable after seeing what one guardian could do. 

"Not all of them," Wild answered. 

"How many?"

Wild shrugged. "Don't remember."

Wild's tone sounded indifferent, but Twilight knew better. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Wild clearly wasn't going to talk, and Twilight struggled with whether to leave him alone or encourage him to speak. 

He wasn't sure what was bothering the cub more, the fact that he had to fight a guardian, the fact that Warriors and Legend got injured, or the fact that they had to fight in the very field he died in. 

Twilight was pretty sure it was a mixture of all of it, and there was no way he could leave Wild stew in his emotions.

"Come on cub, talk to me," Twilight implored. 

Wild tensed up slightly. He really didn't want to talk about any of it, but he knew Twilight ~~wanted~~ needed him to.

"I was scared Twi," Wild said so quietly, Twilight almost missed it. 

"That's understandable," Twilight assured, wrapping his arm across Wild's shoulders. "I can't imagine facing off against something that killed me,"

"That's not it," Wild countered. "I've fought plenty of guardians since then." 

Twilight frowned. He really hated the idea of Wild fighting those death machines on his own. 

"When that guardian activated, I was terrified. I thought...I thought I wouldn't be able to protect you all from it. I never told you all how to fight them. If I did, maybe Warriors and Legend wouldn't have been injured. My misjudgment nearly cost you all your lives,"

Twilight was already shaking his head. "Stop! There's always a risk of one of us being injured during a fight. It doesn't matter what we are fighting, and you know that." 

He could see Wild stiffen slightly. Twilight was sure the cub was thinking back to just a few days prior when a moblin had successfully whacked him into a river.

Twilight thought for a moment. "When was the last time you actually fought a guardian? The way you talk about them, it seems like it's been a while."

"They shouldn't even be active..." Wild mumbled. He couldn't see Twilight, but he knew his mentor was waiting for an explanation. 

He sighed. "The ones I didn't destroy deactivated when I defeated Calamity Ganon. They _shouldn't_ be active."

Twilight hated hearing the fear and guilt in Wild's voice.

"Look, cub, you're not psychic. You had no way of knowing that guardian would wake up. It's probably connected to why we're seeing so many infected monsters."

"Exactly! I should have known that this could have happened." Wild protested.

"How?" Twilight vexed, his frustration leaking into his voice. "Last I saw, those guardians aren't living creatures. How exactly were you to know that whatever's infecting these monsters could affect the guardians?" 

Wild didn't say anything. 

"There's something else bothering you, isn't there?" Twilight assumed.

Wild stayed silent, and Twilight knew he was right.

"I started having...flashbacks," Wild finally confessed. "I can't seem to shake them. When I saw the guardian target Warriors, I was suddenly the one in his spot, my shield destroyed, the Master Sword badly damaged. It was a miracle I could even stand," 

Twilight frowned.

"Then, when I saw it target Hyrule, I wasn't sure I could reach him in time. I knew Hyrule's shield wouldn't hold. I didn't even know if my shield could deflect its laser."

That caught Twilight's attention. _Wild wasn't even sure his little shield trick would work?_ He would have to talk to him about that later.

"Finally, when I saw Legend...," Wild paused, subconsciously rubbing his scarred arm. "...I thought the guardian killed him, just like it did me. I know how painful it is to be killed by their lasers, but that didn't compare to seeing Legend on the ground, his side burned...like mine was." 

Wild breathing hitched as he spoke. Twilight tightened his arm across the younger's shoulders. 

"When I readied myself to parry the laser, I kept flashing back to when I was standing in front of Zelda. Back then, I knew I had lost...that I was going to die. I was scared that I had failed her; that I was going to leave her alone and unprotected from the guardians I had fought so hard to protect her from."

Wild took a shaky breath. "I couldn't let that happen again."

Twilight sighed. Why couldn't the cub catch a break? Why did Hylia have to throw him back into such a painfully similar situation? 

"And you didn't let that happen." he finally said when he sensed that Wild was nearing his limit. 

Twilight could feel Wild's head lower. 

"Look, you took charge of that fight. That's the only reason we're alive," Twilight stated. "I know it drudged up some painful memories, but you didn't allow them to control you. I don't think I've ever seen you fight as fiercely as you did against that guardian. If you were scared, you certainly didn't show it."

Wild didn't say anything. Honestly, he was exhausted, both emotionally and physically. 

He never realized how much he would love being part of a ~~group~~ family, but at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to be alone with his thoughts. 

He also knew, deep down, that if he didn't start addressing these fears head-on, they would continue to haunt him. 

Still, he was spent. 

"Why don't we head back to camp," Twilight suggested. 

WIld shook his head. "I still need to gather more ingredients."

"Cub, what are you hiding from?" Twilight exasperated. 

Wild looked away, annoyed with how stubborn his mentor was being. 

He didn't want to admit he was scared to talk to Warriors and Legend. He knew he was being irrational, but at that moment, the irrational side of him was winning. 

He also knew Twilight wasn't going to drop it until he said something.

He had to stop hiding.

Wild sighed. "...I'm scared to talk to Warriors and Legend. 

Twilight furrowed his brow. "Why..."

Wild glanced up at Twilight. "You're not going to like the answer,"

Twilight blinked owlishly. "You don't seriously think they're going to be _mad_ at you, do you?"

Wild shook his head. "No... I don't know...it's just...." 

Wild growled in frustration. "I feel responsible, and before you go yelling at me, I know it wasn't my fault. I know I'm being irrational, but that doesn't stop my mind from racing. I still feel responsible for what happened, and I'm afraid Warriors and Legend are going to hate me."

Wild groaned. _Hylia above, it really did sound crazy when he said that out loud_. 

Twilight held his tongue. He instinctively wanted to slap Wild across the back of his head and tell him he was being ridiculous, but Time's influence was starting to wear off on him. Instead, he tried to consider why the cub was thinking this way.

When they first met Wild, he was completely closed off to them. Time was the first to recognized that Wild seemed unsure of how to act in such a large group. The kid had been alone for over a year, so it really wasn't surprising. 

Weeks later, Wild had admitted to Twilight that he was afraid he would say or do something to make the others mad. It wasn't until they had been around him a few weeks before Wild slowly started gaining the confidence to come out of his shell. 

But anxiety like that doesn't simply disappear, and Twilight had a more complete picture of what his cub had been through. It wasn't solely that he was alone for a year; he had died...a century ago...only to be resurrected with no memories and sent back to complete his journey with little to no help. 

The kid was still trying to figure out who he was when he was thrown into their ragtag group. So not only did he have to figure out who he was, but he had to figure out the dynamic of a group of 8 of his predecessors. 

All things considered, Wild had done exceptionally well adapting to everything, but clearly, he still had his hang-ups. 

Twilight sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Look, I get it. I can't expect you to magically stop worrying about these things. That will take time, and honestly, it might be something you struggle with for the rest of your life,"

Twilight paused. He brought his hand off Wild's shoulder and pulled his hood back. Wild looked up at his mentor wide-eyed but found he couldn't look away from Twilight's gaze.

"...but please, you need to believe me when I tell you that Warriors and Legend will _not_ blame you for this. They will _not_ be angry with you. Whatever worst-case scenario you've got swimming in your head, it's a lie. I know it's scary, but you have to confront these fears. If you don't, they will end up controlling you."

Wild swallowed thickly. His heart rate picked up as he thought about returning to the others. He wondered if his old self struggled like this. 

"Let's head back. If we don't, Time will find us and drag us back himself."

Wild let a small smirk slip. He always thought it was funny to see Twilight fret over his own mentor's reactions.

Twilight accepted the small victory, and they both hopped down from the tree.

\-------------------------------------

Time and Sky were still awake when Twilight and Wild returned to camp.

"What are you still doing up?" Twilight asked Sky. 

"I took first watch," Sky replied, stifling a yawn. His second wind was quickly fading.

"I already told him I would take it," Time noted. 

"You always take watch," Sky countered as he waved his hand dismissively.

Twilight rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm not tired, and I haven't taken a watch in a while. Go get some sleep. 

Sky wanted to argue, but he could feel the strings of exhaustion starting to pull on him. Instead of arguing, he simply thanked Twilight and made his way to his bedroll. Maybe the ranchhand would be able to convince the old man to get some sleep. 

"How did the foraging trip go?" Time asked as Twilight and Wild sat around the fire. 

Wild knitted his brows before realizing that was the excuse he gave for leaving camp to begin with.

"Oh, um, alright, I guess. I still need to gather a few more things, but I can do that before we leave." 

Time raised his eyebrow slightly before giving a slight nod. 

Wild found his gaze drifting towards Warriors and Legend. Hyrule had fallen asleep between the two, no doubt so he could keep watch on both of them. Wind was curled up next to Warriors, Four was on the other side of Legend, and Sky had put his roll next to Wind.

"They're fine, cub," Time assured. "Hyrule said Warriors should be good as new in the morning. 

"What about Legend," Wild faltered.

"Legend too. His arm will take a little longer to heal, but between the fairy, your potions, and Hyrule's magic, he will fully recover."

Wild felt a pang of guilt as he studied Legend. He could see Legend's arm fully bandaged, along with a few bandages on his face and shoulder. At least Legend's face didn't look as pained as it did earlier. 

"He woke up a little bit ago," Time added. 

"He did?" Wild gasped.

Time nodded. "He stayed awake long enough to tell Wind he felt like shit and for Sky to give him a red potion." 

Twilight snickered. He could imagine that small exchange. "See cub, I told you they would be alright."

Wild felt the tension he was holding relax slightly. 

"I think you need to give us a crash course on how to better fight those guardians once everyone is back on their feet," Time remarked.

Wild felt his heart skip as he tensed up again. He hated the idea that more of the guardians could be active. 

"I swear Time, I didn't know they would activate again. It shouldn't be possible..."

"I assumed as much," Time said casually. "I doubt you would've let us tromp around your Hyrule without warning us that those things would be a problem."

Wild ran his hands through his hair. He felt like he was reliving one of his nightmares. The Yiga, the guardians, not only did they put the group in greater danger, but it also put Zelda in danger. 

Wild had no idea when the next portal would pop up. The idea of being dragged away, knowing that Zelda would likely be targeted by the Yiga, made him sick to his stomach.

Talk about shit timing.

Time could feel the anxiety pour off Wild at that moment. He could hardly blame him. 

Time had his assumptions on what was going on in Wild's Hyrule, but he decided it was best to wait and talk to the whole group about it. 

Right now, he needed to distract Wild from whatever dark thoughts were rolling around in the younger's mind. They had learned so much about their cook in the last few days, maybe it was time he shared a little bit of his story.

"I don't think I ever told you boys that I've met Warriors before we got dragged into this journey," Time revealed, glancing towards the captain.

"What?!" 

Time grinned. He always found it funny when Twilight and Wild said things in unison. As he took in their shocked expressions, he realized that they shared similar mannerisms. 

"Yep. It was a long time ago, though. Well, for me, anyway. I doubt it's been longer than a few years for Warriors," 

"Wait...so you already knew Warriors before all this?" Wild blurted. 

"If that's true, then why didn't Warriors recognize you when we first met him?"? Twilight added. 

"Like I said, it was a long time ago for me. I was still a child when I was sent to his era. I was probably around the same age Wind was when he pulled the Master Sword. I don't think Warriors has figured out that child was me,"

Twilight's mind was reeling. Time had only mentioned two journeys (and never in detail), and neither mentioned a trip to Warriors' Hyrule.

"How is that even possible?" Twilight asked.

"I assume much like how we are together now,” Time hypothesized. “

“One day a portal appeared, and I was pulled in. Next thing I knew, I was thrown into a war in a Hyrule that was not my own. There were others pulled into his Hyrule to help with the war, but none that I recognized.”

That was a lie. He knew who Midna was, at least in hindsight. Still, that was something he didn't think the pup was ready to hear.

"Wait, so you're saying you were with Warriors during his hero's journey?" Wild questioned.

Time nodded. 

"And he doesn't know?" 

Time shook his head.

Why? Why haven't you told Warriors?" Wild continued. 

Time looked back over at Warriors as he considered the question.

"Warriors was not happy that the goddesses sent a child to help in their war. I could tell he felt guilty, even though I had already been on two journeys of my own. When we met up this time, I was so happy to see him. I wanted to tell him who I was, but I noticed, when he looked at me, it wasn't with the veil of guilt and sadness that I used to see."

Time glanced back towards the fire. "I realized I didn't want him to know I was the child hero he journeyed with because I didn't want him to look at me with the same guilt he used to. It was never his fault the goddesses sent me to fight alongside him."

Twilight understood where Time was coming from. It wasn't unlike his own situation with his mentor. 

It didn't take long for Time to figure out that Twilight was a blood descendent, but Twilight knew almost immediately. 

He had barely hidden his shock when he saw his mentor for the first time, alive. He couldn't explain how he knew Time and the Hero's Shade were one and the same. It was just something he sensed, and it filled him with a flood of conflicting emotions. 

He was grateful for the chance to meet his mentor while he was still alive, but that soon turned to sorrow when he realized that this would be the same man who would die alone and full of regret.

Hylia seemed to be full of cruel games. 

Twilight would finally get to know the man who trained him to use a sword, but he would carry the knowledge that this man would meet a terrible fate one day. 

The same man who became like a dad to 8 other heroes, the same man who was madly in love with his wife, the same man who wanted nothing more than to settle down, start a family, and live a simple life. 

There were days that knowledge ate away at his soul. 

"You okay, pup?"

Twilight looked up with a start and noticed both Time and Wild looking at him with concern. Had they been talking this whole time? Twilight had been so deep in thought, he didn't realize he had been staring off into space.

"Yeah...sorry, guess I'm just tired," he said a little too quickly.

Time knew that was bull, but he knew better than to prod. 

"Go get some sleep, its almost time for me to wake up Four anyway," Time urged.

Twilight glanced at Wild. He knew the cub well enough to tell that he was not going to have a restful night. 

"I think I'll scout around first before turning in.

He scanned around to make sure the others were sleeping before he grabbed onto his pendant. Tendrils of shadow poured out of the magical item, enveloping Twilight completely as he transformed into his wolf form.

Wild watched anxiously as Wolfie shook off the lingering effects of the dark magic.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" He asked hesitantly. 

Wolfie looked at him before giving a low, airy  _ woof.  _

"You know better than most that he'll be fine, especially in that form," Time assured.

Wolfie walked over to Wild and gently bumped his chest with his head before turning and trotting off into the night. 

Wild knew nothing would be able to sneak up on Wolfie, but he was still on edge from earlier and couldn't help but worry. 

"How do you do it?" Wild asked as he watched his mentor disappear into the darkness. 

"Do what?" Time questioned.

"Stay so calm,"

Time laughed. "What makes you think I'm calm?"

Wild narrowed his eyes at him. "You know what I mean,"

Time shrugged. "Honestly, experience. When you're thrown into enough stressful situation, you eventually learn how to compartmentalize your emotions,"

Wild looked out into the darkness again.

He thought back to what he had been told about his old self. It certainly seemed like he had learned to compartmentalize his emotions back then. Zelda told him how much he hid his feelings; how unreadable he was. It definitely fit with the flashes of memories he had from those days. 

When Zelda ditched him near Gerudo Town, he felt a mixture of panic and anger. He ran all over the surrounding desert looking for her, only to find her surrounded by Yiga. 

He didn't think he had ever been as scared as he was at that moment, but even after fighting off the Yiga, he kept his knight-like composure. He couldn't allow anyone to see what was churning around in his mind.

Even when they were fleeing from the guardians, Wild remembered how he pushed back his fear and sorrow as he tried to get Zelda to safety.

Why had it been so easy to do back then?

"You really don't give yourself enough credit," Time observed. 

Wild looked at him skeptically. 

"Don't give me that look. You need to start focusing on your strengths and stop dwelling on what you perceive to be your failures,"

Wild turned his gaze to the fire. 

"You have some of the best fighting instincts I have ever seen, and that's saying something. It's obvious you've had extensive formal training, but it's mixed with this survivalist style of fighting that's unique to you. It's really quite amazing,"

Wild smirked. Leave it to Time to describe his fighting in such a positive way. Legend preferred to call him a destructive gremlin when he fought. 

"You're a diverse fighter, which makes you an asset to this team. Your ability to adapt to whatever situation we land in has saved our asses more times than I can count, and that includes today,"

Wild frowned. "Twilight tried telling me the same thing, but it doesn't feel like I did enough." 

Time caught Wild's eyes shift over to Legend. 

"You know, before that guardian tipped over, it was locked on me. I was its intended target, but Legend was the one who got hit. I would be lying if I told you I haven't been agonizing over that fact,"

Wild knitted his eyebrows together. There was a hint of sadness and guilt to Time's voice. Honestly, it made Wild feel worse, but he understood what Time was saying. 

There was no way Time could control where that guardian was going to fire, but he still felt guilty that someone else got hurt instead of him. It was irrational, which was something Wild could sympathize with. 

Wild looked up into the sky and noted how late it had gotten.

"I'm going to wake up Four for his watch. You should get some sleep," Wild stated.

Time scoffed lightly. "Sure. When you do the same."

Wild scowled. 

_ Stubborn old man. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was hard for me to write. I ended up rewriting it like 3 times. I struggle with transition chapters. The next one should be better.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to get out. Suffered through a huge writers block with this chapter. I really think my focus is off because work is picking back up. Ugh.  
> Side note: Did anyone watch the Nintendo Treehouse event??? I am LOVING how Age of Calamity is looking and I freaked when I saw gameplay at "the ranch"!!! Finally...something in 2020 to look forward too!!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Started this Chapter a month ago. Yikes!!! More explanation in the end notes.

_ He was fighting through an endless sea of bokoblins when a dark, swirling vortex appeared before him. An ominous aura seemed to leak from the portal.  _

_ Just then, a chilling voice cut through the room.  _

_ "Arrogance...Ego...Pridefullness..." _

_ Link whirled around and was confronted by a familiar, dark sorceress. _

_ Cia continued. "This darkness nurtured within you shall be your undoing!" _

_ Link suddenly felt a dark, dangerous presence creep up behind him. He spun around and balked. He was staring at three versions of...himself. _

_ They were cloaked in shadow, their eyes glowing red. In their hands, a dark version of the Master Sword.  _

_ Link felt his breath catch in his throat.  _

_ The shadows swiftly rushed towards him, catching Link off guard. He struggled to block the flurry of attacks, his mind reeling.  _

_ This shouldn't be happening. He had already defeated the shadows and Cia.  _

_ Link faltered and was harshly knocked to the ground, the Master Sword knocked from his grip. Link reached out for the sword, but it was kicked away. _

_ "A sword is just a tool for the weak to swing around," Cia spat as the shadows continued to approach him. "Only fools and men put confidence in them." _

_ Link scrambled back as the shadows stalked him. That was when he noticed the portal behind him explode to life as red smoke billowed from the gate.  _

_ He turned in time to see a large figure emerge from the portal. Link's eyes widened when he recognized the male Gerudo.  _

_ Ganondorf laughed wickedly as he towered over Link. He slowly brought up his hand, revealing the full Triforce.  _

_ Link looked down at his hand and gasped when he didn't see the familiar glow of the Triforce of Courage.  _

_ Foolish boy," Ganondorf mocked. As if someone like you would be worthy of the Triforce. Your arrogance masks your cowardness," _

_ As Ganondorf spoke, the Triforce's glow intensified, and Ganondorf slowly became enveloped in tendrils of red malice.  _

_ You will feel my wrath, hero," _

_ Suddenly, an enormous beast appeared, with red eyes and long tusks. _

_ Link tried to move but found he couldn't. The shadows had fused with his and locked him in place. _

_ Ganon laughed menacingly as the gem in the center of his head began to glow and emit a hauntingly familiar twupting sound.  _

_ Link felt the blood pounding in his ears. His heart thudded in his chest. His vision tunneled. He had to get away, but the more he struggled, the tighter the shadows held him in place.  _

_ Ganon's laughter echoed around him as he watched the gem flash brightly before firing its deadly laser.  _

_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _

Warriors shot up, gasping for air. His hands clutched at his chest as he searched for the wound the laser left. Just then, he felt someone touch his shoulder. He turned and swung blindly at his attacker. 

He felt his fist connect with his target, but his balance was thrown off, and he nearly tipped over. He felt someone grab his arms firmly, which caused him to struggle more.

"Hey! It's me..." he heard his attacker say as the two grappled with each other.

Another pair of hands grabbed the sides of his face.

"Warriors, calm down! You're safe..."

Warriors froze.

_ Warriors? No one called him by that name except... _

Warriors looked up, his eyes wide as his brain began to process where he was.

He recognized the young hero kneeling in front of him.

"...Four?" Warriors gasped. 

Four sighed in relief. "Yes. It's me."

Warriors looked down and noticed someone was still holding onto his arms. He looked to his side and saw a very concerned-looking Wild kneeling next to him. 

Wild removed his hands as Warriors tried to steady his breathing. 

"You okay?" Four asked hesitantly. 

"Yeah. Sorry..." he breathed as he glanced around camp. The events of the day slowly began to filter through his mind. 

Four glanced up at Wild, silently asking if it was okay for him to return to his watch. As much as Four wanted to stay with them, he didn't trust the area they were in. 

Wild gave a quick nod. 

Four's hand dropped onto Warriors' shoulders. "Try to get some more rest," he said before he stood up and walked away.

The nightmare's effects began to fade, but they were quickly replaced with the recollection of the day's events. 

He vaguely remembered waking up on the battlefield, but the only detail he could remember was the intense pain radiating through his skull and how the world felt like it was spinning. 

He reached towards the back of his head and was surprised when all he felt was a dull throb. 

"You sure you're okay?" Wild asked apprehensively. 

_ Warriors knitted his eyebrows. Was he okay?  _ The last he remembered, he wasn't.

He looked at Wild and was surprised when his vision didn't tilt. 

He finally nodded. "I think so...definitely better than when I first woke up, "

He noticed the red mark blossoming on Wild's cheek.

"...I hit you..." Warrior breathed.

Wild waved him off. "You were having a nightmare. I knew better than to grab you when I did."

Warriors wanted to argue, but he heard footsteps approaching.

Both him and Wild looked up and saw Wolfie trot into camp. Warriors saw Wild visibly relax as the wolf slowly made his way between himself and the champion. 

Wolfie was making himself comfortable, curling up between the two of them and resting his head on Wild's lap when Warriors noticed someone stir to the other side of him. 

He glanced over and saw Hyrule, propped up against a tree stump, sleeping. Even in the low light, the kid looked exhausted, and his sleeping position couldn't have been comfortable. 

"We tried to get him to lie down, but he refused to leave either of your sides since we got here," Wild offered. 

_ Wait...our sides? _

Then it dawned on him. Warriors' eyes widened as he looked past Hyrule and found Legend.

That's right. When he woke up, Sky had ~~led~~ dragged him over to where the others were standing. He vaguely remembered Hyrule trying to heal Legend, but he was so disoriented he could hardly focus on anything outside the blinding pain and nausea. 

The campfire didn't give off much light, but Warriors was able to see the bandages covering most of Legend's body.

Why couldn't he remember what happened? The last he could recall, he had been fighting that cursed bokoblin. 

Wild could tell Warriors was trying, unsuccessfully, to recall what happened.

"What do you remember?" he asked hesitantly as he ran his fingers slowly through Wolfie's soft fur. 

Warriors kept his eyes on Legend. "Fighting the bokoblins. I was fighting the gold one..."

Wild nodded. "Anything after that?"

Warriors knitted his brow slightly. Something interrupted the fight. He recalled familiar laughter and a mask...a mask he had damaged."

"That Yiga soldier appeared!" Warriors gasped as he reached for his shoulder. "The bastard shot me with an arrow." 

Wild nodded again.

Warriors rubbed at where his wound should have been, but clearly, Hyrule had taken care of it.

"Then...then I remember waking up on the ground next to Sky," Warriors added, sounding defeated.

Wolfie could sense Wild's heart rate pick up. He ducked his head below Wild's hand and pushed it up so Wild had to pet him. It was his way of trying to get Wild to relax, and Wild knew it. 

"Do you remember when I told you all about the guardians in my era?" Wild asked as his fingers mindlessly combed through Wolfie's fur.

Warriors nodded. It was hard to forget about the possessed Sheika tech, especially after hearing Impa's granddaughter talk about them.

Wild swallowed thickly. "The field we were fighting in...it was very close to an area that had been overrun with guardians 100 years ago. When you were knocked back, you landed near one of them,"

Warriors eyes narrowed slightly.

Wild took a deep breath. "For some reason, the guardian activated. Since you were the one closest to it, it targeted you. Sky was able to tackle you to the ground before it fired, but the explosion knocked you both into the air. Sky thinks you cracked your head on a rock when you hit the ground, knocking you unconscious. That's probably why you can't remember much."

Warriors continued to stare at Wild before his eyes darted to find Sky.

"Is Sky alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, he was lucky," Wild answered.

Warriors' attention turned towards the prone figure on the other side of Hyrule.

"Is that what happened to Legend?" Warriors asked as he watched the vet sleep.

Wild felt his breath get caught in his throat, causing Wolfie to curl further into him.

He finally nodded. "Yeah. We were fighting to take down the guardian. Legend and Wind stuck to the perimeter to disrupt the laser while the rest of us tried to destroy it. It had targeted someone, I think it was Time, but we were able to knock it onto its side. Unfortunately, the laser still fired, and Legend happened to be in its path."

Warriors sighed. "He always says he has shit luck," he said with a sad smile. 

Despite outward appearances, Warriors had, what he considered, a close friendship with Legend. Sure, the two bickered nonstop and had no problems hurling insults at one another, but that was just how they communicated. 

Admittedly, Warriors did not get along with the vet right away. The two had conflicting personalities, to say the least. Legend found Warriors to be a pompous ass, and Warriors had too much pride to let Legend get away with his snide comments. 

They were about a week and a half into their journey when Legend landed an insult that Warriors couldn't shake off. The two nearly got into a fistfight over it, but thankfully Twilight and Time intervened, and Time dragged Warriors off to cool down. 

Warriors remembered ranting to Time about how much of an ass Legend was to everyone and that someone needed to set him straight. Time did not agree. 

Time believed Legend was using his snark as a sort of defense mechanism to keep himself from getting too close to the others, something Warriors immediately dismissed. To him, Legend was a jerk, and that's all there was to it. 

But the seed had been planted. Warriors began noticing what Time had clearly seen from the beginning, that Legend was probably the most emotional one in the group.

When they had their big blowup, it was right after Legend discovered that Hyrule succeeded him in their era. 

It was obvious that the revelation shook Legend to his core. The vet had already developed a soft spot for Hyrule, so it had to be devastating for Legend to learn how messed up their Hyrule became despite how hard he fought to save it. 

It explained why Legend suddenly lashed out at Warriors for seemingly no reason and with more venom than usual. The captain was the easy target because he was the one member of the group who always snapped back, and Legend was struggling to keep his mask on. 

Warriors could recall similar instances where Legend would get shitty with them. Nearly all the situations were tied to some underlying emotional struggle the vet was trying desperately to keep to himself. 

The next time Legend aimed his snark at Warriors, the captain responded with a sarcastic comment of his own, but he made sure to take all the bite out of it and kept it light and humorous. 

He remembered suppressing a laugh when, just for a second, Legend looked genuinely surprised that Warriors hadn't taken the bait. 

That was probably the moment their relationship changed. Warriors finally understood that this was the only way Legend would feel comfortable talking with anyone, so he changed how he spoke to the vet. It wasn't like Warriors struggled to match whits with Legend; he just had to stop taking it so personally. 

The others had figured out their own ways to talk to their prickly brother, and soon, Legend's walls slowly started to come down. By no means was he an open book, but he didn't try to actively stop himself from forming bonds with the others. 

Even Wild, who probably trumped Warriors in his ability to drive Legend crazy, wormed his way into the vet's heart quicker than Warriors thought was possible. 

Warriors assumed it was because Legend saw a lot of Hyrule in Wild. Sure the two had different personalities, but they shared a lot of similarities. Both of their Hyrules were in ruin, and both were alone for their journeys. They both loved traveling off the beaten path, something that often landed the two in trouble. Legend blamed Wild for being a bad influence on Hyrule, but Warriors was convinced Hyrule was just as guilty as Wild. It was like he found his partner in crime when Wild arrived. 

Somehow, out of the whole group, Warriors became the one person, outside of Hyrule, who could really get through to Legend. Warriors wasn't sure how it happened, but the two formed a special bond through all the bickering and shit-talking. 

Legend was one of the toughest people he had ever met, which said a lot considering the vet was technically still a teenager, a fact the group almost always seemed to forget, including Warriors.

Right now, though, Legend looked every bit the 16 years he was, and Warriors couldn't help but feel for the kid. He wondered what on earth Legend went through during his adventures that made him so cynical.

Warriors' eyes drifted back towards Wild, who was staring very intensely at the ground and fidgeting nervously with Wolfie's fur.

"Are  _ you _ okay?" Warriors asked, suddenly aware of how the fight with the guardian could have messed with the champion's mind.

Wild sighed. "I keep thinking I did something wrong."

Warriors furrowed his brow. "Why would you think that?"

"Because this should not have happened," Wild said curtly. "It took Calamity Ganon 10,000 years to rise after the last hero defeated him, but I fought him only a year ago, and already there are signs he is trying to return,"

Wild heard Wolfie wine softly.

"The malice should be gone, but it's not. The blood moon has returned. The guardians are coming back to life, malice fueling their bodies. Clearly I did something wrong, otherwise this wouldn't be happening."

Warriors could hardly blame Wild for feeling the way he did. Had it been him in his place, he would probably feel the same way. But Warriors knew this had nothing to do with Wild.

Warriors brought his hand up and rested it on Wild's shoulder. "What's happening in your Hyrule has nothing to do with any mistakes you made," Warriors reasoned. "Strange phenomena are happening across all of our Hyrules. Either we all made mistakes, or this is tied to something bigger. Since Hylia felt it necessary to bring us all together, my rupees are on this being tied to something bigger."

Wild could only nod. He knew Warriors was right, but it still didn't make him feel better. 

Warriors sighed. "Look, I know Twilight probably beat you over the head about this already, but none of this is your fault. I know you're not used to adventuring with such a large group, but you are not responsible for every bad thing that happens to us. What happened tonight was just shit luck, nothing more. If anything, I should be the one feeling guilty. I was the one who activated it."

Wild could only scoff at the absurd comment. He knew Warriors was trying to make a point.

Warriors squeezed Wild's shoulder before looking at Wolfie.

"Make sure he gets some sleep," he said to the wolf as he stood up slowly.

Wild went to get up, but Wolfie had already crawled into his lap. 

"You should be the one sleeping," Wild countered. 

"I've slept enough," Warriors stated, happy that he no longer felt dizzy. "I'm going to keep Four company for a while."

Wild mumbled something under his breath as Wolfie strategically stretched out over the champion. Warriors smirked. 

As he made his way towards Four, he couldn't help but feel sympathy for the champion. He understood, probably better than most, the guilt of seeing people you care about get hurt. 

Being a captain in the royal army, he has seen his share of friends get injured and killed. The guilt was something he could never shake, but he had to learn not to let it consume him. 

He knew Wild would get there too. This group wouldn't allow Wild's guilt to consume him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The notes I wrote at the beginning of this chapter were written nearly a month ago. I cannot believe how much this chapter fought me.  
> I did NOT want to end the chapter where I ended it, but I hated that I haven't posted in nearly two months so I just wrapped up the one section and hit submit.  
> Work was, as expected, crazy. Working in a grade school during a pandemic is not easy.  
> Even as I am posting this chapter, things are crazy. I got sick over the weekend and now must stay home until my covid test comes back. I am still having symptoms and even with a negative test, I cannot return to work until I am symptom free for 72 hours.  
> I really, really hope all the work stress didn't affect my writing. Hopefully I can get back on track now. I spend the first two days being sick reading a lot of LU fics, trying to get the creative juices flowing again. Now that I am not feeling nearly as exhausted, I am hoping I can use this time off work to get some more writing done.  
> If you didn't like this chapter I apologize. Hopefully the next one will be more up to speed.


	20. Hateno Village

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some shameless Legend and Warriors fluff because I can't help myself.  
> Also, the gang finally makes it to Hateno Village!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to thank everyone who has read this fic!!! I never thought I would get as much support as I have with this. It means so much to me!!! Even when I feel I stumble, you all are there with your amazing words of encouragement and support!! 
> 
> I did not beta-read this chapter before publishing, so if you see any errors I will probably have them fixed in the coming days. I just really wanted to get this chapter out.
> 
> I feel like I can start wrapping up this fic in the next few chapters. Then I will release the second part, which will focus on my headcanon for BoTW2 if the LU boys were there.

Legend's return to consciousness wasn't nearly as jarring as it was earlier in the evening.

He recognized almost immediately that he was lying in his bedroll. He could hear the crackling of the fire nearby, and judging by how quiet it was, he was sure it was late in the night. 

His body felt stiff, so he decided to sit up, but he was quickly reminded of the injuries he sustained earlier.

He sucked in a harsh breath as his arm ignited in pain. It was then that he felt a hand rest on his left shoulder.

"I wouldn't move around too much, not unless you want to deal with Hyrule's wrath."

Legend pried his eyes open and saw Warriors hovering over him.

Normally, he would have given Warriors a dirty look, but he was too damn relieved to see that smug asshole up and alert. 

Legend tried to sit up again but couldn't find a way to do so without pulling on his still-healing skin.

Warriors let out an exasperated sigh. "Goddesses, you're a stubborn ass. Here, let me help you."

Legend narrowed his eyes at Warriors but allowed the older hero to help him into a sitting position. 

Warriors kept a hand on Legend's back as the vet tried to breathe through the pain. He reached down and grabbed the red potion Four had left when Legend woke up.

"Here, drink this," Warriors offered as he uncorked the bottle. 

Legend reached a shaky hand up and took the bottle, and slowly emptied it.

"Better?" Warriors asked when he felt Legend's breathing start to even out.

"Yeah..." Legend breathed as he felt the potion take effect. It didn't help with all of the pain, but it helped take the edge off.

Legend looked up at Warriors, noting the bandage still wrapped around his head.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Legend said gruffly.

Warriors scoffed. "I've had enough beauty sleep to last me a month. You, however, look like you got into a fight with an angry Goron and lost."

Legend smirked. He never thought he would be so happy to hear Warriors tease him. 

"You sure you're okay?" Warriors asked when Legend didn't respond. "Maybe you should lie back down,"

Legend looked up and saw the genuine concern on Warriors' face, and he had to look away. 

He shook his head. "I'm fine," he finally offered, but he knew Warriors wouldn't buy it.

Warriors raised an eyebrow suspiciously but didn't say anything. 

Legend sighed. "When I didn't see you get up after the guardian shot you, I feared the worst..." 

Warriors furrowed his brow slightly, surprised at how vulnerable Legend was being. 

Legend looked up at him. "I thought you fucking died, right in front of me, and there was nothing I could do to save you."

Warriors could hear Legend's voice tremble as he spoke, and it broke his heart. He gripped Legend's uninjured shoulder tightly. 

"I'm sorry I scared you," Warriors said. 

Legend scoffed but didn't make any attempt to move Warriors' hand. "Are you seriously apologizing for getting blown up? You're starting to sound just like Wild."

Warriors smirked. "Honestly, I don't even remember what happened out there."

Warriors paused for a moment as he looked back at Sky. "According to Wild, I owe Sky my life."

Legend nodded. "We all froze when that guardian came to life. I barely had time to drag Hyrule down before it attacked, but somehow Sky managed to get to you right before it fired. I didn't think he was capable of running that fast."

Warriors grinned. "I guess we can't make fun of him for being the slow one anymore."

That got Legend to chuckle, but he immediately hissed in pain as his right side flared up.

Warriors frowned. "I thought the red potion helped?" 

"It did," Legend said once the pain subsided.

"Clearly not enough," Warriors argued. 

"Goddesses, you two are loud."

Warriors and Legend turned and saw Wind sitting up from his bedroll.

"Shit, sorry Wind," Warriors said, but Wind just waved him off, smiling. It was obvious the kid was happy to see the two of them awake. 

Wind scooted closer to Legend. "Hyrule said it will take you a few days to recover fully."

Legend couldn't help but groan and run his uninjured hand through his hair. 

Wind's smile quickly dropped into a frown.

"I don't think you understand how bad off you were," he said somberly. 

Now it was Legend's turn to look confused.

"I was right by you when you got hit. I felt the heat radiating off the laser as it fired. You had just enough time to take out your shield, but the laser destroyed it and hit you directly."

Wind took a steady breath. "When I got to you, the whole right side of your body was burned badly. I've never seen an attack that devastating. Hyrule was there almost as quickly as I was. Thank the goddesses he still had a fairy, otherwise..."

Wind let the sentence hang, not wanting to finish it. 

"It took a fairy and a lot of Hyrule's magic just to stabilize you."

Legend looked over at Hyrule, who was still sound asleep. Wind could see the worry in his face.

"Hyrule is fine. He used all three of the green potions Wild made, but we made him stop before he pushed himself past his limits."

"What happened after? How did you guys defeat it?" Warriors asked.

"Wild kicked its ass," Wind answered with a smirk.

"How?" Legend asked. 

"The guardian managed to right itself after it struck you. It immediately targeted Hyrule as he was healing you. I didn't know what to do, so I just took out my shield and said a silent prayer to whichever goddess would listen,"

Legend felt his heart sink. The kid just admitted to watching him nearly get killed doing the same thing, and he still did it.

"Just before it fired, Wild appeared in front of me with his shield in his hand. The guardian fired, and somehow Wild managed to defect the laser back at the guardian."

"He deflected it?? Legend said in disbelief. 

Wind nodded, "Yep. The laser struck the guardian and knocked it back on its side. Before I knew what was going on, Wild was running towards the thing. He used his paraglider to soar over the guardian. Once he was directly over it, he let go, took out the Master Sword, and plunged it hilt deep into the guardian's eye. The thing exploded into pieces after that."

"Damn, I'm sorry I missed that," Warriors said.

Legend was still trying to process everything. He remembered how powerful that laser was. He had no idea how Wild could deflect it back without ending up in the same position he was in. 

He looked back at Wild, who was sleeping with Wolfie stretched out over him. Clearly, he wasn't injured. The wolf probably had to sit on him to get the kid to fall asleep after such an intense fight. 

Legend felt the exhaustion of the day starting to pull at him again. He slowly lowered himself down, happy when his body didn't protest nearly as much as it did when he tried to sit up. 

He couldn't help but think of just how fucking lucky they all were and how much he wanted to get the hell out of Wild's Hyrule. They've had enough close calls to last him a lifetime. 

As his eyes closed, he felt a blanket being draped over him. He cracked his eyes open and saw Warriors draping his own blanket across his body. 

Legend didn't complain. After the day they had, it was a miracle they all made it out in one piece. 

_________________________________________________________________________

By mid-morning, all of the heroes were awake and currently debating whether they should rest another day or continue to Hateno Village. 

Hyrule didn't think Legend was in any shape to ride, but they all agreed that their current location wasn't exactly safe. 

As a compromise, Legend would ride with Hyrule; that way, he didn't have to strain himself trying to control a horse, and Hyrule could keep an eye on his condition. 

Legend wasn't exactly a fan of this plan, but he was anxious to leave their current area, so he agreed. (Not that Hyrule would give him a choice)

As the group was packing up, Warriors made his way over to Sky. 

Sky greeting him with a smile. "It's good to see you up and about. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good," Warriors answered. "Head's still a bit tender, but I'll take that over the alternative."

Sky smiled and nodded. 

"I hear you're the reason I made it out of that fight with just a bump on my head." Warriors said as he gently elbowed Sky.

Sky shook his head. "I'm just happy I was in the right place at the right time. I didn't do anything the others wouldn't have done."

"Maybe, but I heard almost everyone froze when that guardian woke up. Obviously I did, otherwise you wouldn't have had to sprint halfway across the field to tackle me out of the way of its attack."

Sky shook his head, clearly not comfortable taking so much credit, but Warriors kept going.

"Don't sell yourself short. That was an intense fight. Everyone said you were the only one, outside Wild, who jumped into action when that thing activated."

"They exaggerate," Sky said uncomfortably.

"I don't think so," Warriors countered. "Everyone thought we both got hit by that laser; that's how close it was. Not only did you have to run to reach me, but you had no way of knowing you would come away from that unscathed."

Sky really didn't have a counter to that. He honestly didn't expect to walk away from that fight uninjured. 

Warriors clasped Sky's shoulder. "Your quick thinking is the only reason I'm standing here right now. Thank you."

Sky felt his face blush slightly. He never felt comfortable receiving compliments or praise. 

"You're welcome."

__________________________________________________________________________

The group made quick work packing up camp, and by late morning they were mounted up and on their way to their final destination.

As the group reached the top of the hill, they all stopped.

The field ahead of them was littered with broken-down guardians.

"It's like a guardian graveyard," Wind breathed. 

Warriors was taken back by how large and menacing the machines were. He was starting to think it was a blessing that he couldn't remember his encounter with one. 

"Please tell me this isn't the place Paya spoke about," Four hesitated.

Wild shrunk in on himself slightly. This was the situation he was hoping to avoid. 

"It is..."

The air suddenly felt heavy. Some were grappling with the realization that this was where Wild had died. The others were stunned at the scope of the scene. 

Wild spurred Epona forward, anxious to get out of the area as quickly as possible. The others slowly followed. 

Time had positioned himself behind everyone so he could monitor the whole group. He noticed that Twilight had not moved from where he stopped.

"Come on pup, you don't want to fall behind." Time said, but Twilight continued to stare out into the field. 

"There are so many..." Twilight said quietly. 

Time looked out into the field and nodded somberly. 

"Knowing what happened here...after fighting just one guardian...I can't imagine what it was like for him."

Time sighed. The longer he looked out into the field, the angrier he felt. If they were Hylia's chosen heroes, why would she allow Wild to suffer such a terrible fate? Why would she put him in a situation he had no chance of surviving?

"Let's keep going," Time finally said, urging Twilight to spur his horse forward. "The quicker we leave this place, the better."

As the group continued forward, Hyrule could feel Legend tense up.

"You doing okay?" Hyrule asked. 

"I'm fine," Legend answered a little too quickly.

"If you're in pain, just let me know," Hyrule offered.

Legend shook his head. His injuries weren't what was bothering him. 

As the group passed more and more of the guardian husks, Legend felt his heart rate pick up. His eyes kept darting around, expecting one of them to suddenly burst to life. 

A sudden rustle in the grass made Legend jump, causing him to grimace as his side twinged in pain. 

He looked up and saw what looked like a fox scampering away. 

He growled in frustration as he tried to calm his breathing. What in Hylia's name was wrong with him. It wasn't like he hasn't seen his share of monsters in his life. Why the hell was he so damn jumpy. 

Warriors and Hyrule exchanged worried glances. They understood why Legend was on edge (they all were), but they also knew better than to draw attention to it, not at that moment. 

Thankfully it didn't take long to reach the fort. As they rode past the walls, they were greeted by lush, green trees. Even better, there wasn't a guardian in sight. 

"This area is beautiful," Hyrule said as he took in the scenery. The trees, streams, and rock face cliffs created a peaceful, safe atmosphere. 

Wild nodded. "The fort's defenses were able to keep the guardians out. This is just one of two areas left untouched by the Calamity."

The others looked around and started to visibly relax. 

Twilight was taken back by how sudden the atmosphere changed inside the fort. Had he not just walked through a graveyard of guardians, he would never know anything tragic happened here.

He understood why Wild was so desperate to get Zelda here. 

Of course, who knows if the fort would have been able to keep the guardians out had Zelda not unleased her powers when she did. 

Twilight shook the thought from his mind.

The ride to Hateno Village was, thankfully, uneventful, and by early afternoon the group had made it to the entrance. 

Like Kakariko, the entrance to the village was marked by a simple torri gate. 

A villager appeared to stand guard at the entrance. When he saw the group approaching, he dropped down his pitchfork. 

"Who are you? State your business." the man said hesitantly.

Wild pulled his hood down. "I can't believe you still don't recognize me," he said teasingly. 

"Link!" Thadd gasped, lowering his pitchfork. "It's been a while!"

The villager leaned over to get a better look at the rest of the group.

"Who are they?" he asked.

"Friends of mine," Wild answered. 

Thadd nodded and stepped to the side to allow the group to enter.

"Make sure to take them by the shops," Thadd added as the group passed by. "You know the villagers love new visitors."

Time felt himself smile as he took in the sights of the village. Children were running around the stone paths, laughing and playing. The town center seemed to house various shops, and off in the distance, Time could make out homes and farms. 

It almost felt like home.

"Wow Wild, this place is amazing," Four said as they slowly made their way through the village. Other than Kakariko, this was the first time any of them had seen an actual, functioning town in Wild's Hyrule.

Wild smiled as he led the group up the small cliff that surrounded the market. They passed by a few modest homes before they reached a wooden bridge. A single house stood on the other side of the bridge with a small stable that could house a couple horses. 

"Whose house is that?" Wind asked when he noticed that seemed to be their destination.

"Mine," Wild answered.

"Whoa, you live here?!" Wind gasped.

"You own a house?" Wild heard someone else gasp (probably Legend).

Wild smirked. Their shock didn’t come as a surprise to him. He knew he didn’t come off as the homeowner type. 

As Wild exited the bridge, the door to the house flew open. 

A young woman stood in the doorway. 

Sky felt his breath catch in his throat. The girl had short, golden blond hair that was pulled back away from her face. He noticed her eyes light up when she saw Wild, and even from a distance, Sky could see they were a beautiful shade of green.

She wore fitted brown pants, thick leather boots, a white quilted blouse, and a bright blue azure cropped coat that seemed to match Wild's tunic.

There was no doubt in his mind that this woman was Princess Zelda.

The others watched as Wild slid off his horse and started walking towards her. The young girl's face lit up as she sprinted towards Wild. 

Zelda all but lept into Wild's arms as soon as she was close enough, and the two embraced each other for a moment. 

"Oh Link, I was so worried!" she gasped as she buried her face into his neck. "Garill told me what happened last night."  
  
Wild slid his hand down towards Zelda's lower back and pulled her in closer. 

Twilight watched Wild closed his eyes as the girl wrapped her arms around him. All the stress and tension he had been holding onto seemed to instantly melt away. 

Twilight couldn't wipe the grin off his face. 

The two just held onto each other for a moment before Wild remembered that the others were still there. 

He slowly pulled away from the girl and turned towards them.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Zelda," he said, still smiling.

Zelda must not have noticed the group before the introduction because she suddenly adjusted her posture slightly and tried to collect herself. 

The others were already off their horses, save for Hyrule and Legend. 

Time approached Zelda with Twilight and Sky on either side. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Princess." Time said.

"The pleasure is mine,' Zelda answered. "But please, call me Zelda."

Time nodded with a smile. 

Sky was taken aback by how similar this Zelda was compared to his. Sure most of the Zelda's shared similar characteristics, but the Zelda before him seemed more modest than those in the other eras. She was definitely royal, but there was a casualness to her that reminded him of his Zelda. 

"Are you the ones Link's been traveling with?" she asked, one arm still wrapped around Wild's waist. 

"We are," Time answered. "I'm sorry you two had to be separated for so long."

"You don't need to apologize. I know it's outside anyone's control." she offered.

Her eyes glanced over the group before finding the two still on their horse. She could tell by how the one was holding himself that he was probably injured.

"Why don't you all come inside," Zelda offered. "You can let the horses go in the field. I would love to hear about your adventure so far."

"That's very kind of you, thank you Prin...Zelda" Time corrected. 

Zelda and Wild turned to lead the others to the house, the two still not letting go of each other. 

Time leaned over towards Twilight. "I think the cub's going to be just fine." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if this chapter feels rushed. If it does I apologize. I think I was just anxious to introduce Zelda. Once she enters the story, I can start shifting it to the next story in the series. Again I didn't beta read this. I just typed what came to my mind and hit submit lol.


	21. Quick update

Hey all, 

First off, I am completely blown away by the support and the amount of hits / kudos this story has received. Like...omg, over 16000 hits and almost 800 kudos?!?! That blew me away when I logged on tonight. I never imagined I could write a story that would get such positive responses. I am so glad I found this community!! You all are amazing!! 

I feel horrible for taking so long to post the next chapter. Some of you might know that I work at a grade school (art / computer teacher) and work had definitely been crazy. Since August we were only “in-person” learning for two weeks before we had to switch back to virtual and we have been virtual ever since. 

I had to work at the learning hubs during the closure, which left me with next to no time to write (I am also a mother of two so between work and my kiddos, I found I had little to no extra time). 

I ended up testing positive for covid almost a month ago. I don’t know where I caught it (honestly it could had been the learning hub or the store). I followed all the precautions but the virus caught up to me. 

I am extremely grateful that I did not get severe symptoms, but I was extremely tired/fatigued. I had mild congestion and I completely lost my sense of smell and taste. I am into my 4th week after the onset of my symptoms and I still cannot smell or taste anything. All the other symptoms have resolved. It is worrisome not to have a sense of smell because I worry I won’t be able to smell gas or smoke if something bad happened.  
Not having any taste is annoying. Everything tastes like wet cardboard, which had drastically affected my appetite. But I know I am lucky, and thankfully no one in my home caught it (my parents live with me along with my brother, my husband and our two kids...all have tested negative after my quarantine window ended). 

This is my second week of winter break, and the first week I feel well enough to start writing again. Before I was simply too tired. 

I feel bad being so quiet. There are so many of you who I follow but I haven’t been commenting like I usually do. I know I shouldn’t feel bad, but i do. All of your stories have helped a lot during my quarantine and when I was simply too tired to do much. 

I just wanted to let you all know that I have not abandoned this fic, and I already started the outline for the next few chapters. 

(I haven’t even finished Age of Calamity yet!!! I cannot describe how exhausted I have felt this last month...even the idea of playing AoC didn’t appeal to me) 

I hope you all are doing well!!! I hope you all had a safe and fun holiday. Hopefully 2021 will be kinder to us all!!


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> UPDATED; 01/25/2021   
> I wasn't really happy with how the chapter turned out, so I went back and added more to the story. 
> 
> Also, if any of you are confused as to why Time responds the way he does towards the end of this chapter, this is the inspiration for it https://liccy.tumblr.com/post/189109595569  
> I plan to write a part to this series that is my own headcanon to this wonderful comic scene from liccy. Time's reaction at the end pf this chapter is just a mild introduction to when I eventually write a fic for this scene. 
> 
> (This is a short chapter)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am finally back! I am so sorry for the delay. I will leave the last "chapter" with my update up since so many of you commented, and I don't want those comments to be deleted. I want to thank everyone for their well wishes!! The kindness you all have shown is why I l love this community so much!
> 
> This chapter took longer than usual for me to write, mostly because I was still pretty tired and didn't have the mental endurance to write like I could pre-covid. Hopefully, this chapter brushes all the cobwebs out of my brain so that writing becomes a more fluid activity like it was before I got sick.  
> Anyway, enough babbling, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
> 
> This is definitely a no beta chapter. It was a real struggle to get this chapter out, and by the time I finished it, my head was hurting a lot.

Twilight purposely lagged behind as Wild and Zelda led the others into the house. He sighed contently as he looked around.

The house was simple in its design. Rough cut stones lined the house's base and seemed to make up the entirety of the house. Dun-colored stucco haphazardly began about a foot from the ground and covered the rubble masonry until it met the red shingled roof.

As Twilight scanned the area, he noticed that he couldn't quite see the rest of the village. Wild's house was set on it's own piece of land within the rocky cliffs surrounding parts of the town.

It gave the area a sense of isolation in an otherwise vibrant town. Twilight smiled. He couldn't imagine a more perfect home for Wild.

"It suits him, doesn't it?"

Twilight glanced over to see Time standing next to him.

"It does," Twilight answered. "When he mentioned having a house, I was expecting it to look more...run down."

"As did I," Time agreed. "Kakariko was the first village we've seen that seemed untouched by the Calamity. It's nice to know there are other areas of this Hyrule that escaped Ganon's destruction."

Time sensed a sudden change in Twilight's demeanor. He turned to see the smile gone from the pup's face, his look suddenly somber.

Time furrowed his brow. "What's wrong?"

"They were so close," Twilight lamented.

Time's eye widened slightly at the epiphany. He turned his attention to Wild and Zelda, his face etched with pained sympathy.

Wild's instinct to bring Zelda to Hateno 100 years ago to protect her had been correct; the village survived the Calamity. Had they made it past the fort walls, who knows how their story would have ended.

Time frowned. "There is no way of knowing if their fates would have changed had they made it here. For all we know, the outcome could have been worse."

Twilight's eyes widened as he glanced back at Time. He didn't want to imagine a scenario that was worse than what Wild had already gone through.

Time patted Twilight on the back. "Come on, let's head inside."

  
\---------------------------------------------------------------

  
The group entered the house and immediately began shedding their gear.

Wild directed them to a storage closet he had at the back of the house to store their things while Zelda led Hylrule and Legend to the loft.

Legend paused when he realized he was being led away from the group.

"Why are we going upstairs?" Legend asked when he noticed nobody else was following,

"Wild said he has a bed upstairs, so that's where you're going," Hyrule answered plainly. Legend narrowed his eyes slightly. "That doesn't answer my question," he said, although he was fairly sure what Hyrule was implying. Hyrule gave a frustrated sigh. "Do you really need me to spell it out for you? You still need to recover from your injuries, so you are going to rest...in a bed."

"Whoa, wait a second, I don't need any more rest," Legend argued. He wasn't about to be the one who took the only bed in the house, especially since it was Wild's house.

"Yes, you do. You barely tolerated the ride here. Your body still needs to recover."

Legend shot him the dirtiest look he could muster. "Nope, not happening," he argued as he took a step backward. Just then, he felt someone's hand rest on his uninjured shoulder.

He turned and saw Zelda, and balked. He'd totally forgotten she was following them.

As he looked at her it was painfully obvious that she was a princess. Even though she was dressed casually, she still had a presence about her that almost demanded respect.

Even though everything about her screamed royalty, she had a softness to her that Legend rarely saw with other royals. Her eyes were impossibly kind and she looked at him with a comforting smile.

"There is no shame in allowing your body to recover properly from a battle," Zelda said softly as she gestured ahead of them. "Please, allow me to take you upstairs."

Legend cheeks flushed despite himself. It was one thing to have Hyrule or Time fuss over him, it was quite another to have Princess Zelda do the same.

"Really Princess, this isn't necessary," he stammered, trying (and failing) to maintain his composure. "My friend here is over-protective by nature," he said as he gestured towards a very unimpressed Hyrule.

Zelda tilted her head slightly and smirked, showing a hint of stubbornness that told the vet that he wasn't going to win this argument.

"Please, call me Zelda," she insisted. She studied Legend for a second, making the vet shift nervously.

"You remind me so much of Link. He is exceedingly stubborn, always insisting he doesn't need rest, even when it is obvious he does."

Legend's eyes shot over at Wild, who wasn't hiding the fact he was eavesdropping on the conversation.

Wild shrugged and quickly signed ' _you're not going to win this argument_ ,' with a look that was anything but sympathetic.

Legend growled in frustration. He did not like being babied. Suddenly Zelda was standing in front of him with a knowing smile. There was something about her presence that was completely disarming.

"His eyes always betrayed him though," she continued as she stared into his eyes. Legend quickly dropped his gaze to the floor, completely uncomfortable with how vulnerable he felt in the moment.

"It didn't matter how much he tried to pretend he was okay; his eyes always told me the truth,"

Zelda slowly placed her hand under Legend's chin and gently raised his head, so he was looking at her. "Unfortunately for you, your eyes also betray your words," she said with a slightly mischievous smile.

Legend could practically feel Hyrule's smug grin as Zelda effortlessly won the argument. Legend wanted to argue but found he really didn't have the energy. Hyrule wasn't lying when he said the ride had taken a lot out of him. Instead, the vet just sighed in defeat. 

Zelda smiled. "Let's get you settled in then, shall we?" and Legend sulked as he followed her upstairs.

Wild had a lopsided grin on his face as he watched Zelda handle the vet with ease.

"I don't think I have ever seen Legend cave that easily," Four said.

"She's had plenty of practice, only she isn't quite as patient with me" Wild admitted, and Four scoffed in amusement. "Maybe she can give us some tips on how to handle you when you're being a pain in the ass,"

Wild laughed. "Doubtful. I'm fairly sure you need to have the blood of the goddess to put up with hero shenanigans."

Four just chuckled as turned his attention to the house's main room, where various weapons were mounted on the walls.

The others were also admiring the weaponry on the walls.

"Wow Wild, some of these weapons are really well made," Four said as he inspected a gem-covered shield.

"Yeah they are," Sky added as he looked at one of the more intricate bows on the wall. "Why don't you use these?" he asked. "These seem to be superior to most of the weapons in your slate."

Wind looked at Wild and noticed his expression darken. "Most of these weapons are one of a kind," he answered, trying to keep his tone light. "Some belonged to the other champions..."

Wild paused for a moment, his memories flickering to his fallen friends.

The others quickly got the hint that this was not a topic Wild wanted to elaborate on and decided not to question their cook further.

Twilight was rearranging his pack when he noticed Time staring at a peculiar sword on the wall. To anyone else, it might look like the older hero was merely admiring the unique blade, but Twilight could read his mentor better than most.

Time held an uneasiness in his gaze. There was something about this blade that bothered him.

Twilight stood and approached his mentor. The greatsword that held Time's attention was unlike any Twilight had seen before. Its double helix blade reflected an iridescent green and blue hue and was quite large, even for a greatsword.

"Do you recognize this blade?" Twilight finally asked.

Time's posture tensed for just a brief moment. Instead of answering, he looked over at Wild.

"Where did you find this sword?" Time asked, his voice calm and flat.

Wild thought for a moment. "In a treasure chest."

"A treasure chest?" Time parroted, clearly confused.

"Yeah, it was unlike any treasure chest I've seen before." Wild continued. "It was large and ornate. It also contained matching armor."

"Armor?" Time asked, unable to hide the surprise in his voice. He turned towards Wild. "What kind of armor?"

"I have it in my slate. Do you want to see it?" Wild went to hit the buttons needed to equip the armor, but Time objected.

"Don't equip it, just show me on your slate."

Wild shrugged and pulled up the armor on his slate and handed it to Time.

Time glanced down at the screen and immediately felt his heart begin to race. There, in Wild's slate, was not only the Fierce Deity armor; he had the Fierce Deity mask too.

Twilight studied Time as he looked at the slate. If Time recognized the armor set, he didn't let it show. His face was unreadable, and Twilight knew that his mentor was hiding something.

"Have you ever worn this armor?" Time asked as he handed the slate back to Wild.

Wild shrugged, "I'm not a fan of plate armor, but I have worn it on a few occasions."

There was something about Time's behavior that felt off to Wild. He narrowed his eyes at the older hero. "Why do you ask?"

Time ignored the question. "And the mask? Have you worn the mask?"

Now Wild knew something was up. He glanced at Twilight, who looked just as confused as he was.

Wild looked back at Time, whose expression remained unreadable.

"A few times. Why?"

"Did anything happen when you put it on?" Time asked, ignoring Wild's questions.

Wild didn't bother to hide his confused expression. "It changed my appearance, but most of my masks do that. It doesn't have any other magical abilities if that's what you're asking."

Time held Wild's gaze for a beat before humming in acknowledgment.

"What other masks do you have?" Time asked, his tone still a bit on edge. 

"Why are you suddenly so interested in the cub's gear?" Twilight finally asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Time looked at Twilight for a second before realizing everyone in the room was giving him the same, puzzled look. 

He looked back towards Twilight and shrugged. "Curiosity is all. I have a collection of masks as well, and was wondering if maybe the cub and I had similar ones"

Wild gave Twilight a confused look, but Twilight just shrugged. He knew Time was full of shit but decided not to press the issue further. 

Warriors observed the exchange keenly. He, too, recognized the sword, but it was Time's reaction to the blade that intrigued him the most. He wondered if Time had a run-in with the Fierce Deity too.

Warriors made a mental note to talk to Time about it later.

Zelda and Hyrule made their way downstairs, drawing everyone's attention.

Zelda''s presence snapped everyone out of the awkward tension that had taken over the room minutes prior.

"You all must be hungry," Zelda said, her voice warm and caring. "Why don't we make some lunch, and you can tell me all about your adventures."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not sure how I feel about this chapter. I had to fight through a LOT of writer's blocks to get this out. This is only half of what I have managed to write, but I wanted to be able to post something, so I found a good break in the story and made it a chapter. 
> 
> I definitely did NOT plan to write about the Fierce Deity stuff, but it just popped in my head as I was writing. I figure it might be a good way to get Warriors and Time to eventually talk about them teaming up in the past. 
> 
> The good news is I already have the same amount written for the next chapter, but the next chapter is going to have to be a long one. Lots of Zelda/Link interactions in the next chapter.
> 
> I might come back to this chapter and edit it, but for right now this is the best I could do. I really hope you all enjoyed it. 
> 
> I feel like this fic is getting close to wrapping up. I don't have a set "ending" outlined, but I know I want to end it where it transitions into the next part of their adventure (getting into my BoTW2 headcanon).
> 
> I finally finished Age of Calamity (omg i loved it even though it was not what I was expecting). I have always said that AoC would not influence the next fic in this series, but after finishing it, I have changed my mind. My story will stay the same, but I am adding elements from AoC to it. Certain aspects of the lore in AoC would fit really well into my next fic, so why not add it.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a total fluff chapter with a touch of angst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, I totally forgot that Zelda in Skyward sword was an actual classmate of Links. I don't know why I forgot about that detail.  
> Fun fact #2: I found it really difficult to write Zelda. I don't know why but all the scenes she is in fought me hard.
> 
> As always, I am not sure how I feel about this chapter. Hopefully, it isn't hot garbage. 
> 
> Also, OMG how in the heck did I get over 20,000 hits on this fic???? I cannot get over the overwhelming support you all show this fic. I know I say it a lot, but I am constantly shocked at how well received this fic is. There are days (even now) that I think this whole fic is garbage and I question why I even thought I could write it, but your support has really helped me fight off those insecurities and push through. There were times I thought I was going to abandon this fic, but you all kept me going. I will always be grateful to you all for pushing me past my comfort zone and getting me to a place where I am actually going to finish a fic. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Zelda sat at the table and started cutting up some vegetables that would go into the creamy meat soup Wild was preparing. 

She watched their seven guests begin to settle in. There was a familiarity about the young men that Zelda couldn't quite place. 

She almost immediately noticed that they all shared very similar physical characteristics. Sure their hair wasn't all the same shade of blond, and their heights varied, but facially they were all very similar. 

One could even make the argument that they looked like they could all be related.

She noticed that one of them was heading her way. He looked like he was one of the older ones in the group and the only one who wore a cape. 

It didn't escape Zelda's attention that the cape's design closely resembled the Hylian Crest. The blue almost perfectly matched the color the royal family wore. 

"Would you like some help, Princess?" the young man asked politely.

Zelda smiled and gestured to the chair next to her. "I would love some help, thank you. And please, call me Zelda".

She didn't miss the look the young man gave her. There was a hint of recognition in his eyes mixed with what she could only interpret as sadness. 

It was a look that tugged at her heart. 

She watched the young man pull out a small knife and begin cutting up some carrots.

"What is your name?" Zelda asked.

"My friends call me Sky," was the reply. 

"That is an interesting name. Are you all friends of Link's?" Zelda asked as she started chopping some herbs. 

Sky nodded, "We are. We met Link a few months ago." 

"When he was taken through that portal," she remarked. 

Sky frowned. "I am sorry that he was taken away from you so suddenly," 

Zelda gave a resigned smile. "I could sense Hylia's presence when that portal opened up. I doubt you all had any choice in the matter."

Sky wasn't sure what to say to that. Zelda certainly wasn't wrong. If Hylia willed it, there wasn't much you could do to say no.

"You all aren't from around here, are you?" Zelda hinted although Sky could tell it was a question she already knew the answer to. 

Zelda noticed a few of the young men's heads turn towards her at the question.

"No," Sky answered. "We all come from different lands." 

Sky was purposely being ambiguous. He wanted to see just how much this Zelda understood of their unique situation. 

"It's not just different lands," Zelda coaxed as she looked up at Sky, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You come from a different time, don't you?"

Sky couldn't hide his smirk. The others were slowly inching closer, all interested to hear how this Zelda would react. 

Sky nodded. "We do." 

Zelda's eyes lit up. "It all makes sense now," she exclaimed. "The portal, Link disappearing for months," 

She looked at the others who were positioned around the table, listening in. 

"There's something very familiar about you all, more than just your physical appearance,"

Zelda paused for a moment. "It's your spirit. You all share the spirit of the hero."

"Wow, most of us had a hard time understanding that," Wind chimed in. 

"She has the blood of the goddess running through her; it's not that surprising that she was able to sense it," Time added as he leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. 

"This is fascinating!" Zelda beamed. "You are all Hylia's chosen heroes throughout Hyrule's history. I have so many questions."

The others couldn't help but be drawn in by Zelda's enthusiasm. Sky shared his story first. How they all believe he is the first in the line of succession. 

He described Skyloft to her, and Zelda couldn't hide her fascination with a kingdom that existed above the clouds. 

He tells her about his Zelda, that she was not a princess but a dear friend who attended the same academy he did, and how he eventually learned how she was the reincarnation of Hylia. 

He briefly talked about his time in the Knights Academy and how he was tasked to create the Master Sword. 

Zelda was so engrossed in Sky's story that she didn't even realize when Wild walked inside. 

Wild scoffed humorously as he watched how Zelda hung on every word of Sky's story. It wasn't surprising. She was a researcher at heart, and he knew that she would practically demand to know the details of each of their Hyrules. 

Lunch was served when Sky was finishing up talking about his battle with Demise. 

He wasn't as enthusiastic to talk about this part of his journey. Time didn't miss the fact that Sky skipped over the part about the curse. 

The older hero wasn't surprised; they all had parts of their journeys they kept to themselves. Sky might be the most open of the heroes, but even he had parts of his adventure he wasn't comfortable telling this Zelda.

Warriors and Wind each took turns talking about their adventures. Zelda was shocked to learn that Wind's Hyrule had been submerged by the Great Sea. 

Zelda noticed that most of the heroes didn't seem eager to shart their stories. The two that stood in the back, both sporting facial markings, didn't contribute to the conversation at all. 

The excitement she felt earlier faded slightly. If these boys were the chosen hero, that meant they had to fight a great evil. 

There was no telling what emotional scars they were each carrying as a result of those battles.   
\-------------------------------------------------------------  
Wild was finishing cleaning up the last of the dishes when he heard Time suggest that the others take the afternoon to explore the town and stock up on supplies.

He also didn't miss the knowing look Time gave him as he ushered the others outside. 

It shouldn't have surprised Wild. Out of all of them, Time would be the one to understand the need for some alone time with the person you care about.

He looked up when he heard Zelda come down the stairs with Hyrule.  
"How's he doing?" Wild asked as the two made their way to him. 

"A lot better," Hyrule answered. "Most of his injuries have fully healed, but his arm will still need to be treated over the next few days before he can use it."

"Is he still sleeping?" Wild asked.

"Surprisingly, yes," Hyrule replied. "I was shocked at how easily he fell asleep after I gave him that healing elixir you made. I really thought I would have to sit next to his bed and babysit him, so he didn't try to sneak off."

Zelda didn't miss the way Wild smirked at that last comment.

Her eyebrows raised slightly. "Stealing tricks out of my book, I see,"

Hyrule tilted his head slightly, unsure what she was getting at.

Wild simply shrugged, his smirk widening. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about,"

"Sure you don't," she said slyly before turning to Hyrule.

"You see, when you have a stubborn knight who has a bad habit of playing off injuries and refusing to rest, you are forced to learn a few tricks."

Hyrule tried (and failed) to keep a straight face. "What kind of tricks?"

"She drugged me," Wild stated.

"I did no such thing!" Zelda countered, but the grin on her face said otherwise. "I merely added a few extra ingredients to your healing elixir's to help you relax."

"I slept for nearly three days that one time," Wild complained.

Zelda just shrugged unapologetically. "You started heading my advice after that."

Hyrule was trying desperately to muffle his laughter. He glanced over at Wild. "You drugged Legend?"

"Technically, you drugged Legend," Wild corrected.

Hyrule narrowed his eyes, "He's gonna be pissed when he wakes up,"

Wild just shrugged, "Only if you tell him," 

Hyrule scoffed before turning his attention back to Zelda. 

"Could you show me what you added to those potions sometime?" he asked. "You know, just in case we have our own stubborn knight who refuses to rest." 

He didn't miss Wild shaking his head from his peripheral.

"Of course I can," Zelda said, glancing mischievously at Wild.

The champion rolled his eyes and facepalmed. 

"Well, now that I know Legend won't be waking up anytime soon," Hyrule concluded as he gave Wild a pointed look, "I think I'm going to join the others in town." With that, the traveler excused himself.

"You're not really going to tell him what you use to put in my elixirs?" Wild asked as soon as Hyrule was out of earshot.

"I am," Zelda said matter-of-factly as she started walking out of the house. "You shouldn't be the only one to know that little secret. Besides, I'm sure you're the one who needs those elixirs the most."

Wild groaned as he followed her outside. 

It was a beautiful day in Hateno. The sky was clear and the breeze warm. 

Zelda walked towards the back of the house and picked a few apples from the tree before heading towards the field where the horses were grazing. 

Wild stood a couple steps behind and watched as Zelda gave a quick whistle, catching Epona's attention off in the distance.  
ed  
"It seems some habits are hard to break," Zelda imparted. She glanced over her shoulder at Wild before gesturing for him to stand next to her. 

Wild felt his face flush as he stepped up next to Zelda. 

"Sorry," he murmured, but Zelda just smiled and shook her head. 

"Don't be. You can't be expected to just disregard all those years of training." 

Zelda looked up as Epona trotted up to her. She held up one of the apples, which Epona ate eagerly.

"What was it like? Traveling through time?" she finally asked.

Wild thought for a second. "Disorienting. Like teleporting with the Sheikah Slate, only worse."

Zelda hummed in acknowledgment as she fed Epona another apple. 

"And what of Hyrule itself? Is it how we know it today?"

Wild shook his head. "No. Not really. It's complicated. Some of the Hyrule's we have visited are very similar to this one, but others are completely different. Almost like a different world altogether." 

Zelda listened intently as Wild continued.

"There was one of us who had to travel through time to defeat Ganon. The others believe that when he did this, it caused a split in the timeline."

Zelda's eyes widened. "You think that our Hyrule isn't the only one to exist? That there is another version that exists alongside ours?"

Wild nodded. "Something like that, only we think there are three versions that exist. 

Zelda finished giving Epona a quick scratch under the chin before she turned to Wild. "Three?"

"That's our best guess," Wild shrugged. "Some of us seem to know exactly where they fall in the 'timeline order' while others are still uncertain."

"Purah and Robbie are going to lose it when they hear about this. What about our time? Where do we fit in?" Zelda quizzed.

"We're not exactly sure. The only thing that seems certain is that our Hyrule is the most current."

"How were you able to come to that conclusion," she asked.

Wild turned and slowly began to walk towards the cliff edge.

"The Master Sword told Sky," he began. "The sword he carries is the one he helped create, the one from his time, but the spirit inside the blade knows who we all are. According to her, she is ancient in this time. So much so that her powers are beginning to fade."

As they approached the edge of the cliff that overlooked the rest of Hateno, Wild sat in the soft grass, silently inviting Zelda to do the same. 

Zelda stared out over the town, digesting everything she had learned.

"That would explain so much," she finally said. "Why she seemed to lose her power 100 years ago; why she continued to lose her powers when you pulled her again." 

"That's what Sky said," Wild added as he played with a few blades of grass, not really focusing on anything. "He said the only reason she lasted as long as she did 100 years ago was that she had 10,000 years to recover from the last Calamity."

"Are any of them the hero...from 10,000 years ago?" Zelda asked.

Wild shook his head. "No. None of them have ever heard of the Calamity or recognize the divine beasts and guardians."

Zelda's head dropped slightly. "That's too bad. I would have liked to talk to that hero, to see where we went wrong."

Wild turned to her and wrapped his arm across her back, pulling her closer to him. "There was nothing we could have done differently. It's like Impa said, Ganon already knew what our plan was. We lost the battle before it even began."

Zelda nodded, curling closer to Wild. 

"Do you really feel responsible...for what happened back then?" 

The question took Zelda by surprise. 

"Impa told me," Wild admitted.

Zelda thought for a moment. "Yes. Back then, I did feel responsible...for all of it." 

"Zelda," Wild sighed.

"I felt responsible back then," Zelda interrupted. "but now I understand that it was all outside my control. When I lost my mother, I lost the only person who could teach me how to awaken my powers. I was alone, left to figure it all out on my own."

Zelda slowly moved her hand on top of Wild's, allowing his fingers to lace between hers.

"Even if I was able to awaken my powers, we have no way of knowing if that would have changed the outcome. Ganon knew our plan and was already 10 steps ahead of us. I've come to terms with that, and I have forgiven myself."

She looked up at Wild and carefully brushed his bangs away from his face. "My only wish now is for you to forgive yourself."

Wild turned away, and for a moment, Zelda thought that he would shut down. She looked out towards the waterfall in the distance, not willing to push him any further.

"It's hard..." 

Zelda looked up towards Wild, surprised.

"For the longest time, I only saw myself as the hero who failed to save his kingdom. The hero who couldn't even remember being 'the hero'." 

Zelda listened on silently. She gave his hand a quick squeeze, encouraging him to continue.

"The second I drew that sword, it felt as if the weight of the world rested on my shoulders. It was my responsibility to save the kingdom. I trained every day for years, preparing for the day Calamity Ganon would appear, but it didn't matter in the end. I was powerless to stop him.

Zelda looked away, feeling suddenly ashamed. 

"I was cruel to you back then," she admitted. "I took out my insecurities on you with no regard for what you were going through. Had I just been kinder, maybe you wouldn't have felt the need to shoulder all of that on your own."

"It wouldn't have mattered," Link admitted. "I always knew your behavior towards me was because of the stress you were under. I never took it personally." 

Zelda smiled sadly. "I didn't deserve you. You were always so kind and patient, even when I was behaving like an impudent child." 

"You were forced to live up to unrealistic expectations while a whole kingdom looked on. Your behavior was understandable."

Zelda hummed in agreement. "We always had that in common, didn't we?"

Wild nodded. "I always thought that the Master Sword chose wrong; that I wasn't the one she intended to wield her. I always believed that was the reason I failed. Now..."

Wild paused for a second, trying to gather his thoughts.

"...after meeting the others, after the sword gave me my title, after hearing why the sword would lose its powers...I don't feel like an imposter anymore."

He sighed. "I would be lying if I said I completely forgave myself for what happened, but I'm starting to accept that I did everything in my power to protect the kingdom...to protect you. I just wish I didn't leave you alone in the end."

"You died, Link..." Zelda lamented. "I begged you to leave me, to save yourself, but you stayed. You can't sit here and tell me you left me alone when you gave your life to protect mine."

Wild scoffed lightly. "That's what Paya said."

"Good," Zelda declared. "Maybe if enough people tell you the same thing, you might start to believe it."

Wild smirked. "You might get your wish. She basically chewed me out in front of the whole group, so now they all know what happened. I swear some of them are more persistent than you are."

Zelda smiled. "Hylia knows you need people like that in your life."

Wild rested his chin on top of Zelda's head. Goddesses, he missed the smell of her hair. It always reminded him of wildflowers after it rained. 

"I'm glad you are not alone," Zelda said, breaking the silence. "I was so worried you would be alone when you disappeared through that portal. Knowing that you are with people who are looking out for you, who will take care of you, it makes my heart happy."

"It was hard to get used to," Wild admitted. "I wasn't use to traveling with a group before. I definitely wasn't use to fighting as part of a group. I'm pretty sure I drove a few of them crazy when I joined them."

Zelda smirked. "I don't doubt it. You know, you've changed since I last saw you."

Wild furrowed his brow. "Changed?" 

Zelda smiled. "Yes, you've changed. I can see it in the way you interact with those boys. I can't explain how, but there's an ease to you that didn't exist before. You seem more open, more true to yourself. It's a good change."

"I guess there was no avoiding it," Wild added. "They all seemed to make it their life's mission to drag me out of my shell."

"I will have to thank them for that later," Zelda said with a smile.

She looked up to the sky and realized that it was already late afternoon. "We should probably go inside and start preparing dinner. Your friends will be coming back soon."

"They can feed themselves," Wild declared. "I just want to sit out here with you a little longer,"

Zelda smiled and rested her head against Wild's chest. "Maybe a few more minutes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally believe Zelda spiked Wild's potions to make him sleep lol.  
> I also realize that I randomly capitalize the word 'guardian' when I write about them. I am going to go back into the previous chapters and correct that.  
> This is a no-beta chapter. I am not even sure it's a cohesive chapter, but at least I got it done.  
> I think I only have 2 more chapters to go before this part of the fic is finished. I will be starting the next part of this series right away, so the delay in posting shouldn't be more than what it is currently.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this in a day; I didn't reread it, no beta, you have been warned lol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this craziness?!?! I got a chapter up without having to wait over a month??? I don't think that's happened in quite a few months. 
> 
> Warning, this chapter is purely self-indulgent on my part. It has your typical angst (nothing terrible hopefully) with some nice fluff to round it all off. 
> 
> I ALWAYS wanted to write a chapter where Sky and Zelda get to talk, there has always been a part of me that feels like Wild's Zelda reminds Sky of his Zelda the most. I also feel that Wild's Zelda would be fascinated with Sky's whole story. 
> 
> I did edit this down a bit, but basically, this is just me writing my headcanon and having fun with it. 
> 
> Also, the next chapter will the LAST one!!! It is going to lead up nicely to the next part of this series. Our school opens back up in a week, so my plan is to finish this fic, take two weeks off to get back into the swing of in-person teaching, and then start the second part of this series during spring break. 
> 
> I really struggled with whether this was the route I wanted to take this chapter, but after talking to Lalalando, I decided that I should just write what I want, and hope you all continue to enjoy it.

Legend sat on the edge of the bed, trying desperately to shake off the lingering exhaustion that hung over him. 

"What the hell did you put in that potion?!"

Legend kept his eyes focused on Legend's arm as he finished rewrapping it. 

"I didn't put anything in it. You were probably more exhausted than you realized."

"Bullshit! I can tell the difference," Legend argued. 

Hyrule simply shrugged as he tied off the bandage. 

"Fine, don't tell me," Legend pouted. "See if I accept any of your potions in the future."

"To be fair, it wasn't my potion; it was one of Wild's elixirs."

Legend's eyebrows shot up. "That little shit! He did it??"

Hyrule bit the inside of his cheek to hide his smirk. "I didn't see him do anything; he just handed me the elixir to give to you."

Legend stood suddenly, slightly surprised when his vision didn't tilt.

"Whoa, wait a second, I'm not done," Hyrule protested, but Legend ignored him and stormed down the stairs.

When Legend reached the bottom of the stairs, he turned and narrowed his eyes at his target.

"You hypocritical bastard, you drugged me!!"

Wild's head snapped towards Legend, along with six others.

Just next to Wild Legend spotted Zelda, who looked like she was struggling not to laugh.

Legend felt the tips of his ears burn, but he stubbornly kept his gaze locked on the champion.

"Legend! It's good to see you up," Warriors teased. "You look like your feeling a lot better."

Legend glared dangerously at Warriors but kept his mouth shut.

Wild just shrugged. "I won't apologize for it. You needed the rest, and Hylia knows you weren't going to admit it."

"That's rich coming from you," Legend huffed.

"I'm afraid he learned that little trick from me," Zelda admitted, taking all the fight out of the vet. "Link wasn't exactly cooperative when he was hurt."

Legend scoffed. "He still isn't."

Zelda's eyes shot back at Wild, who only shrugged"

"You are looking a lot better," Time chimed in. "Come have a seat. Maybe you can help us decide where we head to next."

Legend stood for a second, unsure whether he should still feel angry at Wild's betrayal or thankful because it was the first time in the last couple of days he didn't feel like shit.

A subtle nudge from Hyrule was all he needed to take a seat with the others. 

"We were just telling Zelda what we've witnessed over the past few days," Warriors explained. 

I have been receiving reports that the number of monster encounters has been on the rise," Zelda informed. "At first, I wasn't terribly concerned. Hyrule has seen the number of monsters fluctuate through the years."

She took a sip of her tea. "It wasn't until the other night that I began to worry. I woke up and felt _his_ presence again. I ran outside...that's when I saw it...the blood moon. I thought I was having a nightmare. The blood moon can't possibly exist without Ganon, but he was defeated."

Zelda didn't realize how tightly she was gripping her cup until Wild placed his hand on her forearm. 

"We've experienced unusual monsters across all of our Hyrule's," Sky explained. "They are larger and stronger and sometimes appear in lands they don't belong in. The only evidence we have been able to find is they all seem to be tainted in some way."

"What do you mean by tainted?" Zelda asked.

"Their blood is black," Sky answered. "It doesn't matter which Hyrule we are in, or what kind of monster it is; if it's 'infected,' it has black blood."

"The only difference between the Hyrules is that yours seems to be showing signs that Ganon might be trying to return," Time added.

Zelda brought her hand to her chin, lost in thought. 

"Did we do something wrong," she finally asked as she turned to Wild, her brow furrowed slightly. "Did I somehow not seal him away properly?"

"No," Wild assured as he wrapped his other arm around her. "We defeated Ganon. I watched you seal him away. We did everything right."

Legend didn't miss how confident Wild seemed in that moment when he was comforting Zelda. Even though Wild doubted himself, he clearly didn't want Zelda doing the same.

"There is a higher force at play here," Sky added. "Something bigger than Ganon."

Zelda's eyes went wide. "And you believe this higher force could be hiding in our Hyrule?"

Sky nodded. "I sensed it too the other night. It wasn't just the malice; it was something greater than that. Something far more threatening."

"You don't think it's Demise?" Zelda worried.

Sky didn't answer for a second, seemingly lost in thought.

"Maybe," he finally answered. "Though this presence doesn't feel completely like Demise. There is something different about it, something unfamiliar."

Time felt his stomach sink. If his assumption was right, if Wild did fall into his and Twilight's timeline, that meant that the Ganon he fought had an original form. 

"Princess...in all of your studies, have you ever read about Ganon taking on another form?"

Zelda nodded. "Yes, but it wasn't from what I read." 

She took a steady breath before continuing.

"When I was sealed away with Ganon, I could hear its thoughts. It was trying to resurrect into a physical form. I couldn't say what form it was trying to achieve. All I know was when Link arrived, it hadn't finished regenerating."

"What did it look like," Time asked as he turned to Wild.

Wild glanced to the side, trying to recall the fight. "It was a combination of the Blights I fought on the Divine Beasts," he started. "It was a grotesque mixture of malice and sheikah machinery."

Wild looked up at Time. "What made it truly disturbing was its face. It wasn't the face of a monster. The eyes, nose, mouth, the way the malice took the shape of hair and a beard, it seemed so familiar."

Just about everyone shifted uncomfortably. 

"That sounds an awful lot like Ganondorf," Wind pondered. 

"I killed him, though," Twilight vexed. "I didn't seal him away or banish him to another realm. I killed him. I saw the triforce of power leave him." 

"Who's Ganondorf?" Zelda asked.

"He is the reincarnation of Demise," Sky replied. 

"He was reincarnated as a Gerudo male," Time added, "Back in my time, he was king of the Gerudo."

Zelda gasped. She quickly turned to Wild. "Do you think that was who Urbosa was referring to?"

Wild shrugged slightly. "I didn't think much of it then, but it certainly seems possible."

"We need to tell Robbie and Purah," Zelda insisted. "They should be able to help stir us in the right direction."

"Who are Robbie and Purah?" Four finally asked. 

"Skeikah scientists," Zelda answered. "They stood at our sides 100 years ago. They immersed themself in their work, trying to figure out what had gone wrong then. They aided Link when he woke up, and they continue to aid us today. If anyone has any idea what might be going on, it's them."

"They're a bit...unusual," Wild added, earning an elbow from Zelda.

"What? They are! It's not a bad thing; I'm just giving them the heads up."

Zelda sighed. 

"It's getting late," Zelda decided. "I think we all should get some rest. This town is well protected, but we still have guards to keep watch. Tomorrow I will take you all to the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab."  
\----------------------------------  
The group had unanimously decided that Zelda would take the bed in the loft, despite her insisting she could stay at the inn, while the rest found space downstairs to lay their bedrolls.

Even though there was an inn just down the road, none of them wanted to separate. 

Once again, Sky found himself lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He really hoped this whole not-sleeping thing wasn't going to turn into a habit. 

With a defeated sigh, he sat up and carefully untangled himself from the limbs of Wind and Hyrule. He reached behind him and grabbed the Master Sword. 

It was probably not necessary to take her, but Sky wasn't going to take any chances. 

Carefully, he made his way to the door in hopes that the fresh air would clear his head. 

He slowly made his way towards the horse stall next to the house. 

"Couldn't sleep?"

Sky felt his heart jump as he jerked to the side of the stall. 

"Oh, I'm sorry if I startled you, "Zelda said quietly. 

Sky took a deep breath and put his hand up. "No need to apologize, Princess. I didn't expect anyone else to be out here, is all."

Zelda smiled, but Sky could sense something was bothering her.

He gestured next to her. "May I?"

Zelda nodded. "Of course."

Sky sat in the cool grass, a couple of feet from Zelda. 

"Is there something troubling you," Zelda inquired? 

Sky couldn't help but smile. Goddesses, she reminded him so much of his Zelda.

"Couldn't sleep," Sky admitted. "I've had a lot on my mind lately."

Zelda hummed knowingly. "Do you want to talk about it? I know we don't know each other very well, but it might help to talk things out and get it off your chest."

Sky chuckled softly. "You remind me so much of the Zelda from my time. She's always looking out for people, always willing to help out. It's nice to see that her kindness got passed down to her descendants." 

Zelda's smile dropped. Her gaze fell to the ground, where she started fiddling with a few blades of grass.

"I don't think you would have such a high opinion of me had you met me before the Calamity," she admitted, causing Sky to furrow his brow.

She glanced up at Sky, regret heavy in her eyes. 

"I was not known for my kindness or my patience back then," she added. "My behavior was very unbecoming of a princess of Hyrule."

Sky felt his heart sink. Why did they all have to go through so much trauma?

He reached for his sword and laid it in front of him, catching Zelda's eye.

"Fi showed me a glimpse at what happened before the Calamity," Sky began. "I know you lost your mother at a young age. I know Wi-Link was tasked with the burden of being the chosen hero at a young age. Don't be so hard on yourself; you two had to deal with overwhelming pressures."

Zelda smiled. "Are all of Hylia's chosen heroes so understanding?"

Sky laughed. "You've met Legend, the one in the red tunic. Does he seem like the most understanding person you've met?"

Zelda giggled despite herself.

"I don't know if I have met anyone quite as hot-headed as he is. He always seems to be in a constant state of annoyance, and he rarely talks without some level of snark to his voice."

Sky smirked humorlessly. "He thinks if he pushes everyone away, he won't get hurt when they leave him. He won't tell us what happened on his journeys, but it's pretty obvious that he's lost people he cared about."

Zelda reflected for a moment. 

"I was cruel to Link back then," she lamented. "Goddesses, I was so naive. I thought he had it easy. All he did was draw a sword, and he was being celebrated while I struggled every day to awaken my powers, and every day, I failed. Then my father made him my personal knight. Every day I saw him reminded me of my failures. I took it out on him. I said _cruel_ things to him. I tried so hard to get him to leave because I couldn't bear to look at him."

"What changed?" Sky wondered.

Zelda smiled fondly. "He saved my life."

Sky watched as Zelda got lost in thought.

"I ordered him to stop following me," she began. "To make a long story short, I ended up getting ambushed by the Yiga. I tried to run away, but they had me surrounded. I looked around, but no one was there. I was alone, and I was going to die. I have never been so terrified...well, at least up to that point. I remember the Yiga raising his blade...he was going to kill me. I closed my eyes, and suddenly I heard the sound of metal clanging off each other. I opened my eyes, and there was Link, standing in front of me."

Zelda shook her head slightly. "He was following me the whole time. He didn't speak, but I could see the anger and fear in his eyes. After he dealt with the Yiga, he turned and helped me up. He asked me if I was alright, and I nearly broke. I never gave him a reason to care about me, but I saw the concern in his eyes, heard the hint of anxiety in his otherwise steady voice. It wasn't enough that he saved me; he managed to give me the illusion of privacy without actually leaving me alone. He managed to follow both mine and my father's orders."

Zelda seemed to realize who she was talking to suddenly. "Goddesses, I'm sorry. Here I wanted you to tell me your troubles, and I ended up rambling about mine."

"Don't apologize," Sky insisted. "I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to share this with me. Please, continue."

Zelda smiled. "Our relationship changed after that day. I made a point to get to know him better, to try to understand him better. It was hard, but after a while, he slowly started to open up. I realized he was struggling just as much as I was, only in a different way. He admitted that the reason he didn't speak was that he felt that, with all that was at stake and with all of Hyrule watching him, he needed to stay strong and silently bear any burden."

Sky just shook his head in stunned amazement. This story explained so much of Wild's personality.

Zelda frowned. "The Calamity struck shortly after that. The day that Link...fell...I found myself thinking back to all the time I could have spent with him but didn't...because I was too stubborn and selfish. I regretted every wasted moment. I begged Hylia not to take him."

"Is that when the sword spoke to you,"

Zelda nodded.

Sky sighed. "You two went through so much together. It's easy to see why you two have such a strong bond."

Zelda felt her cheeks flush. 

"Sorry," Sky said sheepishly. "It's just that none all of us share the same connection that you and Wi-Link share."

"You don't have to keep calling him Link," Zelda insisted. "It must be strange to call someone by your name, plus I've heard him be referred to as Wild enough to understand that's the name he goes by with you all."

"It does get a little confusing having nine Links around," Sky admitted.

"What about you," Zelda asked. "Are you and your Zelda close?"

Sky felt a pang in his heart as he looked out in the distance. "Yes...we are."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

Sky sighed. "It's been a while." 

"I'm sorry," Zelda said softly. 

Sky took a deep breath, "I have faith I will see her soon, but Hylia brought us here for a reason, so my focus has to be on figuring out why."

"I am glad you all are here," she admitted. "It's nice to have people around who understand what Link and I have gone through." 

Sky smiled warmly. 

"I am going to try to get some sleep," Zelda said as she stood up. "You should think about doing the same."

"I will," Sky promised. "I just want to stay out here a bit longer."  
\-----------------------  
Legend hadn't meant to eavesdrop on Zelda and Sky's conversation. 

He had managed to sneak out of the house moments before Sky. He made his way around the back of the house before spotting an apple tree to sit beneath. 

He flexed his hand slowly, amazed at how well it had healed. Hyrule promised another day or two, tops before he could go without the bandage. 

Guardians fucking sucked....

It felt good to get some fresh air. The vet was still pretty irked that Wild had basically drugged him, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew it was for his own good...not that he would ever admit to it.

He had no idea Zelda was sitting on the other side of the horse stall until Sky had walked past her.

Legend wasn't sure what to do. If he got up now, they would see him, but he also felt like a creeper just sitting by and listening to their conversation. 

He didn't want Sky fussing over him being out of bed, so he stayed.

He almost regretted that choice.

He had no idea their conversation would turn so serious, and he _definitely_ didn't expect to be the subject of part of the conversation.

Legend could feel the tips of his ears burn when Sky brought up the fact that Legend's 'attitude' was just a front to protect himself from being hurt. 

The fact that Sky could see right through him was infuriating. 

Then Zelda started talking, and boy, if there was ever a time Legend felt like he heard something not meant for him, it was now.

It felt like a massive invasion of both Zelda's and Wild's privacy, but he had stayed hidden so long, it would have been too awkward for him to stand and say, "My bad, I'll be going now."

So he stayed, and he listened, and he made a silent promise to be less of a prick to Wild in the future. 

"You know it's rude to eavesdrop,"

Legend choked back a gasp as he nearly toppled away from the intruder.

"Goddesses Wild, are you trying to fucking kill me?!"

Wild just smirked and looked out at who Legend had been snooping on.

"I'm shocked Sky is still awake," he teased. "Though I can't say I'm surprised. I figured Zelda would want to pick his brain more. He is the most open out of you all, and he certainly has an interesting story."

Legend was too busy trying to slow his racing heart to respond. 

"So, what crazy things has she been asking him?" Wild asked. "I'm sure she is dying to know about Skyloft."

Legend felt like he swallowed a toad. 

"Honestly, I'm not exactly sure. I wasn't exactly paying attention."

Wild raised an eyebrow. "You're so full of shit."

Legend just waved him off. "Hey, I was sitting out here first; I don't even know when those two started talking."

Wild rolled his eyes, clearly not buying any of it, but decided to drop the topic. 

"What are you doing out here anyway," Wild quizzed. "Hyrule would have a fit if he knew you weren't resting."

"Well, if _someone_ didn't drug me into oblivion for the whole day, maybe I wouldn't be wide awake."

The two paused when Zelda stood and headed inside.

"She's always been such a night owl," Wild said fondly. "I can't count the times I've had to look for her only to find her asleep next to some project she was working on."

It was strange, listening to Wild talk so fondly about Zelda when she just got done telling Sky how mean she had been to him. 

Clearly, Wild didn't see it the same way she did. 

_And wasn't that just the common theme of the week_

"I'm going to sneak back inside before she realizes I snuck out to find her. You coming?"

Legend sat silently for a moment. 

"Trust me; you will need your rest. Robbie and Purah are...well...how do I put it...they are pretty intense."

Wild gave a quick smirk before retreated into the house. "I'm sure you're going to love them."

Legend rolled his eyes. That was definitely Wild speak for 'they are going to drive you insane.'

Still, he decided to sit outside a while longer, and it was definitely _not_ to keep an eye on Sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not expect to write quite so much Sky and Zelda content, but my brain had other ideas lol. Again, I know its self-indulgent, but my headcanon would not let me skip it. 
> 
> Robbie and Purah are either going to be a blast to write, or they are going to be super hard to write. I don't see a happy medium lol!!! But they will be in next chapter and they will be helping wrap up this part of the series. I am hoping to have it posted in a week. 
> 
> Once again, thank you all for your amazing support. This fic wouldn't had been possible without you all!!!!! Thank you!!!!

**Author's Note:**

> I finally made a Tumblr page!!!!  
> https://rewritethestars5218.tumblr.com


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